


Call Me a Safe Bet

by OptimisticJamie



Series: Soul Survivor: Hazel Moore [4]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon scenes, Confusion, Eczema, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fumbling, Grief, Humor, Insecurities, Nervousness, Shyness, Slow Burn, ill add more tags as I go, long fic, theres a little smut now, vague smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-19 08:27:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 42,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5960785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OptimisticJamie/pseuds/OptimisticJamie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life in the Third Rail—hell, Goodneighbor in general—was starting to wear thin. He was a day out of packing up and heading off to another place to try and find someone willing to pay the caps when Winlock and Barnes have the gall to intrude on his turf.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gambling

Life in the Third Rail—hell, Goodneighbor in general—was starting to wear thin. He was a day out of packing up and heading off to another place to try and find someone willing to pay the caps when Winlock and Barnes have the gall to intrude on his turf.

Choosing to sit so as to not accidentally provoke the bigheaded men into punching his lights out, he keeps a careful eye on his rifle as it leans against the wall, a good arm’s length away.

It also happened to be the same time MacCready caught sight of a woman who had walked in behind Barnes. He didn’t get a good enough look before the two men cut off his vision to the rest of the room, but he was acutely aware of her presence. If things went sour he didn’t know if he’d be able to take on three people.

“Can’t say I’m surprised to find you in a dump like this, MacCready.” Winlock sneered, grabbing MacCready’s attention once again.

Before MacCready could even think, he opened his mouth to reply; “Can’t say I’m surprised it took your tracking dogs so long to find me. It’s been, what, three months?” He paused, “Finally loosing your edge?”

The two mongrels—there was really no other word to describe them—seemed to bristle at his words and Winlock flexed his hand into a fist, the cloth of his glove creaking.

Barnes only laughs; “Easy, MacCready, we’re just here to deliver a message.”

Barnes shifted on his feet, opening up part of the room to MacCready’s eye once again. The woman had eased into a chair against the far wall, she sat with one leg over the other and was inspecting her nails, looking almost bored of the conversation happening in front of her, but MacCready didn’t miss the way her eyes flicked up briefly. She knew what was going on, she was just waiting for something to happen.

MacCready changed his tactics. He stood, forcing Winlock and Barnes to take a step back; “Have you forgotten that I’ve left the Gunners for good? We have nothing to discuss.”

“Yet you’re still taking jobs in the Commonwealth.” Barnes sneered, his voice low and dangerous. “That’s funny…or foolhardy.”

MacCready suppressed an annoyed sigh; “I don’t take reading lessons from you, so why don’t you take your girlfriend and walk out of here while you still can?”

”Winlock, tell me we don't have to listen to this shit!" Barnes exclaims in an over dramatic attempt to be annoyed. His movements, throwing his head back and sighing, cause him to catch sight of the woman. He slapped Winlock's chest with the back of his hand a few times and jerked his head in her direction. MacCready followed their gaze, honestly curious as to her intentions since she was so obviously not with the two meat-heads in front of him. 

She was no longer inspecting her nails, instead she stared at all three of them, looking utterly bored and in need of entertainment. She had lit a cigarette and was already half-way through it. A heavy smoker. She exhaled, the plume of smoke from her lungs clouding her face for a moment before she blew more forcefully, chasing the smog away. One eyebrow rose when no one looked away. She waved them on with a nonchalant motion of her hand. 

”Continue, Gentlemen, don't stop on my account."

Gentlemen. The last person MacCready had heard use that word was Daisy. Come to think of it. Many ghouls used that kind of language. 

He didn't have time to lament, as Winlock and Barns demanded his attention once again. ”The only reason we haven't riddled you with bullets is because is because we don't want a was with Goodneighbor. We play the game. We respect boarders. That's something you never learned."

”Glad to have disappointed you." MacCready countered, speaking through slightly gritted teeth. 

”Fine," Winlock spits; "Play the bad guy, but if we hear you're operating in Gunner territory again, all bets are off. You hear?"

”You finished?" MacCready asked exasperated. 

”Yeah. We're finished." Winlock slapped Barnes in much the same way Barnes had moments ago, jerking his head sideways towards the door and taking the lead, hands on their guns. 

They skirt around the legs of the woman as she tracks their movements, brows lowered, eyes flashing dangerously as she stubs the now-finished cigarette out in a dirty ashtray on the table, leaving the butt behind. She exhales once their gone, quickly and forcefully as if she did not want the smoke in her lungs to begin with. 

She turned back to MacCready, her head rolling on her neck casually before she looked him up and down and switched the position of her legs so her right leg was folded over her left. ”I was told you're looking for work."

”If you want a friend, or someone to preach about the Atom to keep moving, but if you're looking for a hired gun, we can negotiate."

The woman pushes up out of the chair and come to stand in front of him. She's heavily armed and dressed to suit it. Strapped onto her back was a heavy sniper rifle, night-vision scope, quick-eject magazine. The gun was large and possibly weighed more than his, but he certainly can't deny that it takes serious skill to wield it. Strapped to her right calf is a combat knife, no sheath and the blade caught the light of the room as if it was a mirror. A makeshift thigh holster houses a simple 10mm pistol, but her opposite pocket quite obviously contains a molotove cocktail, the cloth-stoppered bottle of spirits sits glaring at the world. 

Her clothing is simple enough: leather pants, knee-high combat boots, white shirt under a black leather jacket that looks newer than it is, black leather gloves. What catches his attention most, though, is the Pip-Boy. Taking pride of place on her left arm, it displayed an array of radio stations, none of which she currently had it tuned to. The device gave him chills. It was impossible to get a hold of those things these days. Who did she kill, and how did she do it? 

”What did the other two want?" She enquired. 

MacCready stayed silent, sizing her up quietly. 

Upon receiving no response she sighed and tried again, "Why were they so certain you weren't available for work?" 

”The Gunners way, climb the ladder of success and step on anyone in your way." MacCready replied. He shifted in his seat and adjusted his hat before pulling it back down into the position it was in before. ”They're the biggest gang in the Commonwealth, practically a cult. I ran with them for w while because the caps were good, but I could never fit in, so I made a clean break. Went solo."

”impressive, breaking out from a group like that." The woman agreed. 

MacCready looked her up and down for a moment before he asked; "So what's with you? What's this job you've got?"

”Long term. Unsure of how long exactly, a few weeks to a month at least. I mainly need help clearing out raider dens and communing with settlements," she flicked a few dials on her Pip-Boy as she spoke "I need a second gun, someone who won't ask too many questions and won't get in the way."

Settlements? What business did someone like her have with settlements? She looked like the type to roam the city, setting up shop in cleared raider holds and becoming a public menace to anyone who went near her, including Deathclaws. 

”I'm interested. What's my part of the deal?"

”You'll get paid every fortnight. Half of what we scav and trade during that time."

That sounded good. That sounded _very good_. Easy money earned shooting people. His specialty. ”Alright." He said. He stood, and to his dismay found her to be exactly his height, if not taller my a mere centimetre. ”Since it isn't looking too good now, I want 250 caps. Upfront, no room for bargaining."

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a pouch, bouncing it in her open palm. MacCready could hear the caps inside rattling. She smiled, "Everything's negotiable. Let's say 200 caps."

”Did you not hear what I just said? No bargaining. Two-fifty or you'll have to find another gun."

She tossed the pouch at him and he flailed to catch it suddenly. ”I have 200 caps in that pouch. I'll give you the rest when we get to Dimond City." 

MacCready pocketed the caps without looking inside the pouch. ”Well Boss, where do we start?"

The smiled before holding her hand out in a gesture of greeting. MacCready shook her hand. ”Hazel. Hazel Moore." She said. 

”Robert Joseph MacCready, and you're just the Boss to me." MacCready stated. He grabbed his gun from where it leaned against the wall and saw her eyeing it. With deliberate slowness he slung it diagonally over his back before picking up a practically empty pack from under his chair and throwing it over his shoulder. 

During that time Hazel had retrieved her own, bigger pack from under her previously occupied seat. The pack was laden with goods, valuable or worthless MacCready didn't know, but he eyed the grenades that swung frighteningly from the top by what looked like fishing wire. If she had to run, what stopped her momentum from dislodging one of the pins and blowing her to bits? A proper inspection upon walking closer behind her slowed that each grenade had a length of wire wrapped around it, keeping the detonator piston in place and stopped them from swinging about too eradicatly. 

He followed her out from the Third Rail, giving Magnolia a wave as he passed, and out onto the streets of Goodneighbor. A dog barked, making MacCready swing around. Sitting just beside the stair into the bar was a German Shepherd, wielding goggles and a red bandana decorated the canine. The animal barked happily at Hazel as she bent to greet it.

”Good boy, Dogmeat."

MacCready's eyebrows shot up. How many people in the world names their dogs Dogmeat?

With a click of her fingers, Hazel ordered the dog to follow her, it fell into step beside her calf without complaint and with that, she pushed the door to Gooneighbor open and lead MacCready out.


	2. Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Hazel confuses MacCready]

The first thing Hazel did upon entering the Fens was shoot the head of a mongrel clean off its shoulders. Still holding the door open for Dogmeat and MacCready, she grabbed her pistol and aimed it at the mutt, making MacCready almost jump out of his skin. 

Without a word she holstered the gun and armed herself with her impressive rifle. She lead the way, walking back towards Park Street Station. MacCready fell into step behind her, rifle in his hands and on the lookout for anything that would remotely cause them a hindrance. Hazel walked with her shoulders back and an almost rod-straight back. Despite the obvious heavy weight of her pack, she seemed to move with a light-toed ease that MacCready envied and found himself trying to replicate. 

As they walked Hazel periodically stopped to peer through her scope, checking the road in front of them as well as the rooftops and freeways. Once everything was to her satisfaction she signalled with a flick of her wrist to keep moving, Dogmeat never left her side. 

”So, boss," MacCready asked after roughly an hour of silence, "Why Dimond City?"

She didn't give an answer right away, instead electing to check the chamber of her rifle and fire off a shot, hitting a Bloatfly he hadn't spotted a fair way down the road. A dog barked in the distance, alerted by the noise of the gun ringing between the buildings. ”I have business there with a few of the merchants." She reloaded and checked the scope again, "Their deal being bring good scav, get good caps." 

MacCready hummed in agreement.

 

They reached Dimond City just as the vendors began packing up shop, packing anything of high value away in locked crates and safes and hauling them back to either their houses or their warehouses. MacCready pursed his lips in annoyance, they were too late and it didn't seem they'd be able to sell and trade whatever the hell was in her pack, but the lack of merchants didn't seem to bother Hazel. 

She marched right through the centre of town and headed straight for a Mr. Handy that had just emerged from the house behind it's stall. 

”Percy!" She greeted it, dumping her pack at her feet. ”What do you have for me tonight?"

”A little bit of everything, ma'am." The bot replied. 

Hazel rummaged through her pack for a moment before pulling out a handful of railway spikes that were almost as long as her arm. The bundle consisted of roughly five spikes, roped together with a thick piece of wire. She placed them on the counter beside Percy and stooped to rummage in her pack again, pulling out a heavily modified pipe gun that, without the mods, would have been as worthless as the sunglasses perched on the crown of her head. 

The Mr. Handy unit--Percy--looked the items over for a moment, humming in the ear-grating, piercing way that robots did. 

”We have one Fusion Core, ma'am." Percy concluded. 

MacCready almost scoffed. Sure a Fusion Core was good, but he would have preferred a little extra caps on the side. It couldn't hurt, he'd certainly find a good use for the money, even if it went into...less civilised things, like upgrades for his rifle, bribing Winlock, or buying out a security guard. 

MacCready was lost to his thoughts for a moment and when he returned he caught the tail end of Hazel's bargaining; "...hey, Percy?"

The bot was silent for a time, focal lenses moving from Hazel to the items on the counter, and back to Hazel. ”I guess it couldn't hurt to throw in sixty extra caps." 

”You're a charm, Percy." Hazel thanked, taking the Fusion Core handed to her, and pocketing the caps. 

She turned away from Percy and found MacCready watching her with his eyebrows raised. “Impressive." He said. 

”I thought so." Hazel beamed. She dug in her pocket for a moment before holding her hand out; "here" she placed 50 caps in MacCready's hands. ”What you're owed." 

MacCready honestly didn't think she'd pay the extra 50. He thought she'd pull a fast one and bolt before she had the chance to pay him in full, or he'd have to deal with a mad woman with an insanely deadly aim trying to off him because she didn't want his big mouth cornering her into paying up. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he did not pocket the caps right away, instead stood with them in his hands. 

”Earth to MacCready! Are you a little lost in there?" Her voice snapped him out of his daze and he cleared his throat. ”There you are. Now, it's too late to do anything of worthy note now. We have to clear the library tomorrow, first on our list, followed by another sweep of Park Street Station--that place is constantly infested with Ferals." Hazel flicked through a list on her Pip-Boy, switching between a map at the same time, in order to show him what their movements were the following morning. ”Whatever we find we'll drag back here, sell it, then head out of the city."

”What's the angle, boss?" MacCready asked. 

”Angle?" 

”How do you work, what makes your team run?" MacCready clarified. 

Hazel regarded him for a moment before she stopped walking, placing her pack down on her feet. ”As your employer, I expect your weight to be pulled. Half the load gets split, carried equally by each of us, I expect security from you--loyalty--to not end up in the gutter with a knife in my back or a bullet in my temple." She paused and watched MacCready as he nodded, agreeing with her terms.

”From me you should expect the same, loyalty, trust, and fair work. As your employer I'll see to it that you're fed, paid, loaded, and medicated to your approval. That enough of an angle for you?"

”Very much so, boss." MacCready grinned. 

Hazel picked up her bag, swung it over her shoulder and looked in the direction of the Dugout. ”Here," She gave him 10 caps, "rent a room, sleep well, I'll meet you at the wall at 5:30 tomorrow morning. 

”Where will you sleep?"

”I have a place to bed down. I'll see you in the morning."

 

MacCready found her standing at the barricade, crouched with one knee planted on the loft and the other propped up with her arm resting across her thigh. She chewed on a piece of jerky nonchalantly, as if she had all the time in the world to savour the tough meat.   
Beside her was her pack, empty save for the extra guns and ammo packed in strategic pockets to make it easier to grasp, but in her hands was her ever present rifle. 

”Ready to go, boss." MacCready announced himself with a smile and a clumsy click of his heels, mimicking what he saw her do while she was trading with Percy. 

”Good." She stood and jumped down from the barricade loft. ”Boston Library, here we come." She sang, a little off key, and started off with a hop in her first step. 

MacCready followed behind, eyes roving the surrounding buildings with a hand on his gun. If he was being honest with himself, he has no idea why he was doing this. The real reason he was even _in_ the Commonwealth wasn't making the mistake of running with the Gunners, bailing, then spending three months trying to cover his tracks only to end up following a woman he has never seen before, who's only companion was a dog by the name of _Dogmeat_ , who shot people as casually as if she was reading Publik Occurrences over breakfast. 

There was nothing he could do to help it though. She obviously knew her way around people, she was able to charm more caps out of Percy, and he had already witnessed her pick pocketing a Dimond City guard all the while using sugary words and batting her kohl covered eyelashes. She managed to lift 30 caps from the guard. 

Maybe she would be able to point him in the direction of someone with enough fire power to actually achieve the job he needed done. 

He was so lost in his own thoughts that when Hazel stopped he collided with her with a muffled 'oomph'. Catching himself before he fell he grabbed her so she wouldn't. ”Ah geez, sorry boss."

”No harm done." Hazel assured, waving him off. ”I just stopped to tell you that we've reach the library."

True to her word, when MacCready looked up he was rewarded with the sight of the massive building. Practically all it's windows were either shattered or boarded up by thick wooden planks, hanging from a few of the windowsills were chain nets of bloodied body parts. 

Super Mutants. 

MacCready vaguely wondered if Hazel had spoken to--or even knew--Daisy. MacCready often drank with her, often acted as her personal body guard when unsavoury Triggermen came to trade and Hancock was not available. If she was a friend of Daisy's, perhaps it was in MacCready's best interests to stick with Hazel for a little while longer than he first intended. 

”Okay." Hazel flicked through her Pip-Boy, turning off anything that could make a noise while they were inside. ”I heard tell of several Protectron units within the building, if we could find a way to activate them, if they aren't already, they can be used to herd the Mutants into one corner of the library and all we'll need to do is pick them off, then fight our way out passed the bots."

Protectrons weren't that bad. MacCready had run into several of them before, a well placed shot and they exploded fantastically. 

”Got it, boss." 

”Let's go then." Hazel shoved open the door to the library, letting Dogmeat through first before she bent almost in half and ran to the book return terminal. 

MacCready watched in confusion before he saw her pull out an old book. She definitely knew Daisy. The book was tagged and returned and five book tokens spilled onto the floor. They had absolutely no value yet Hazel picked them up and pocketed them. 

”Okay, _now_ we can find those Protectrons."

MacCready stifled a snort of laughter as they followed Dogmeat through the library, crouching low as they reach doorways and corners before proceeding, judging their safety by the shepherd's noises and cues. 

Just as MacCready was about to suggest that maybe the mutants had moved on, Dogmeat stopped and let go of a soft growl. Hazel reached forward and petting him on the head gently before she peered around the corner. 

Standing around the room, looking more bored than threatening, where roughly four Super Mutants and a hound. Hazel leaned back against the wall and pressed a finger to her lips. MacCready shut his mouth to emphasise the fact he was shutting up. He then followed her finger as she pointed across the room to a terminal on the wall. It wasn't in the best position, in full view of every mutant in the next room and obviously locked. 

_Can you hack it?_ MacCready mouthed. 

She nodded. She pointed to the room then to MacCready, made a circle motion with her fingers and what looked like flipping a cap. She dug in her pockets for a moment and removed a coin. MacCready blinked. He had never seen one of them before, not up close. While travelling with the Gunners it wasn't unusual to find pre-war coins and notes lying around, but they were useless. Why would see have a pre-war penny in her pocket? 

She handed it to him and pointed to the room of mutants again. He understood, create a discreet distraction while she hacked the terminal. He nodded and creeped off in the direction they had come, Dogmeat following close behind him. 

When he turned a corner so he could see through a small hole in the wall he flicked the coin towards another entrance. It flew through the air before it pinged on the wall bracket of a dormant Protectron and ricocheted onto a table before falling with a ting onto the floor. 

”Huh?" One of the Super Mutants demanded. 

MacCready scrambled back as fast as he could before the mutant entered the hall, looking around angrily. It was only one though. With a silent annoyed sigh MacCready doubled back around to Hazel. She had not moved, eyes trained on the three remaining mutants as she waited for her chance to reach the terminal. 

Another mutant joined it's brother, demanding to know what the noise was. 

Hazel shifted and MacCready watched as she pulled a suppressor from her pack and screwed it onto the muzzle of her rifle. Hefting the gun onto her shoulder she took a deep breath before holding it and shooting into the room. 

The gun made a quiet 'pheeew' noise as it fired but the bullet she shot did not hit any of the mutants. Instead embedding itself into the far wall with a loud THWAK. Every mutant turned to investigate. 

With her distraction provided she shoved the suppressed rifle into MacCready's arms and ran to the terminal and began punching in combinations. MacCready braced the rifle against his shoulder and marvelled at the weight of it. It was far heavier than his own, and would certainly pack a bigger punch, but it's longer barrel made it harder to manoeuvre in small spaces without drawing too much attention, and she kept it clean. So clean that it practically gleamed in the sunlight coming through a crack in a planked up window. He moved a little to prevent the super mutants from spotting them too early. 

”Yes." He heard Hazel breathe, her voice was shortly followed by the robotic voices of the Protectrons activating. 

Before MacCready could even move, three of the Protectrons opened fire on the Super Mutants. He jumped back from the room, dropping Hazel's gun with a loud clatter in an attempt to get away from the bots that were now marching towards the mutants, creating havoc throughout the library. 

”Mac, come on, we need to move." Hazel demanded, pulling him to his feet and grabbing her gun. 

”What? Why?"

”Those stupid bots have been lying dead for so long they can't tell the difference between hostiles and friendlies."

”Can't you just deactivate them?"

”Now where's the fun in that?" Hazel smiled before she lobbed a frag grenade down the stairs where another group of mutants were attempting to fight off the Protectrons. 

MacCready almost laughed at her comment but was distracted when a mutant hound slammed into him from behind. 

Dogmeat growled and jumped onto the back of the larger animal while MacCready struggled underneath it. After a few tense seconds and struggling MacCready managed to jam the barrel of his rifle under the mutt's neck and shoot, blood and brains splattered the ceiling and wall and began to drop down the barrel of his gun. He blanched and quickly heaved the carcass off his body before shooting a mutant in the back of the neck as it fought a Protectron, then shot the robot and watched as another of its friends was engulfed in flames. 

Behind him Hazel had dropped her rifle, or rather propped it against the balcony rail neatly, in exchange for her 10mm pistol. The rapid shots of the gun echoed through the building as both robot and mutant alike fell to her bullets. 

The whole exchange was over within twenty minutes. Hazel unloaded her pistol, holstered it, then vaulted over the railing of the stairs, landing in a crouch on the lower level. She didn't bother to stand, instead shuffling over to the nearest dead thing and began looting its corpse. 

”Check them for anything valuable!" She called up to MacCready, "Caps, stims, fusion cells, anything."

”On it!" He called down and followed her order. 

By the time they regrouped at the door they had entered they each carried an impressive haul of weapons and ammo. Hazel placed her pack down and emptied its contents, indicating MacCready should do the same. 

”What's your caliber?" She asked. 

”Huh?" 

”Your rifle, mine takes .308."

”Oh, uh, mine takes .38."

”38 caliber." She hummed to herself, she picked through the boxes and pouches of ammo till she had gathered a small box of bullets and handed them to him. ”Here, that should keep you going till we get back to DC." 

MacCready took the box and slipped it into an inside pocket of his duster. Understanding her method of sifting and sorting he shifted to sit cross-legged on the ground and helped her put everything into piles. 

Once that was finished she nodded and began to pack everything again, an even amount of guns and ammo in each pack before randomly throwing bits of junk and useless items in the top. 

”Hey!" MacCready started, "Don't make me carry all that junk!"

Hazel only stopped and looked up at him. ”I need this junk. If we can't hock it, at least I can use it back at Sanctuary."

”Sanctuary?"

Hazel nodded. ”It's to the north. It's," she paused, "well, it's...its home." She fell silent and refused to meet his gaze as she continued to throw the rubbish into their packs. She tied hers off, readjusting a few of the dangling grenades, before slinging it over her shoulder and carrying her rifle by it's barrel. 

Without a word she started for the door, Dogmeat, who had disappeared after the fight, returned to her side. MacCready scrambled to his feet and grabbed his pack when he realised that she wasn't going to wait for him. 

The walk back to Dimond City was tense. Well, tenser than one would assume travelling through the Fens.


	3. Holding onto Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A father begins to reminisce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ

MacCready was surprised to learn that Hazel had a son. She had made no mention of family, or even friends, before, so when she dragged him into Valentine's Detective Agency after selling their scrap haul in the market he was a little caught off guard. 

He stood behind her, leaning against the wall and occasionally glancing back to the door as she answered Valentine's questions. The next thing he knew they were standing outside Kellogg's apparently abandoned house, waiting to see if Valentine could pick the lock. MacCready was in no way surprised when he couldn't. 

”Okay, wait here." She demanded of both of them before she ran back towards the market. 

MacCready was ready to protest but was silenced by the stern look she gave him. He snorted in response, "Okay, boss." He didn't understand why he didn't see that she was a mother, Lucy had used that look on him several times before. 

”Where did she pick you up?" Valentine asked once they spotted Hazel jogging towards the lift to the Mayor's office. 

”She hired me, Sentinel Toaster." MacCready responded. 

Nick laughed, he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and slipped one between his teeth. He held out the pack for MacCready, who gratefully took one. ”I have no business knowing what she gets up too, but she saved me from a bad situation so I like to know that she's in good company."

MacCready lit his cigarette with a flip lighter he had in his pocket and tossed it to Nick, who lit his and tossed it back. He took a long drag on the cigarette, savouring the taste and the smell before he responded to the synth; "If you count shooting mutants and Ferals in the head good company than I'm the best."

”That's all she seems to do these days." 

They were silent till she returned, a large pouch of caps in her right hand, and the key to Kellogg's house in the other. 

”Look what I stole!" She whooped, not loud enough for anyone other than them to hear, but with enough volume to project her excitement. She shook the pouch of caps and its contents jingled. 

MacCready laughed. ”How did you manage that?"

”With kind words and quick fingers." She responded with a wink. She passed Nick and unlocked the door. 

MacCready put his jokes on hold as he followed her into the house, leaving Dogmeat to stand guard. 

 

He honestly refused to believe that he was now going to be assisting in tracking down an Institute thug. He hated the Institute, just wished they'd leave the world alone so everyone could get back to living and killing each other without the fear of their friend being a synth that could kill them at any second. 

Her son was taken from her, she refused to tell him when, but judging by the information he gathered himself, it was recent, her son was still a babe, younger than MacCready first thought and it made his heart ache. He couldn't imagine loosing a child in such a violent, personal way. 

He followed behind Hazel as she followed Dogmeat, picking up cigars and bloodied bandages every time the shepherd found them. He turned up his nose when she shoved the bandages in her pack and he had to refrain from making a noise, knowing it would only annoy and agitate her further. 

The sun was setting when they finally reached Fort Hagen and Dogmeat howled and barked, refusing to go any further than the barricaded door. Hazel petted the dog on the head and gave him a piece of Radstag meat she had on hand before stepping back and looking over the building with a scrutinising gaze. 

”There's more than likely an entrance on the roof, boss." MacCready assures her. 

”Ah. Good. Let go then." She leads the way around the back of the building and they climb onto the roof via a car and each other's shoulders. 

A few turrets, a Bloodbug, and a bark from Dogmeat and they're inside the fort and surrounded by angry Synths. 

”Mother fuck!" Hazel swears and grabs a laser musket that looks suspiciously like a Brotherhood of Steal weapon and begins shooting the shit out of anything that moves. 

MacCready follows her lead, shooting from the hip more times than he's proud of, and missing just as much. When he runs out of ammo he grabs a dropped Institute pistol from the dismembered arm of a synth and rejoins the battle, hitting his targets head-on this time. 

A voice comes over the loudspeakers and Hazel freezes. 

”That voice. It's him." She tells him and MacCready makes a mental note not to mess with her when she's mad. 

She charges further into the fort, leading him down and deeper, gunning down any synth, Protectron, and turret in their way. MacCready can't help but admire her determination. He would have the same attitude if it was him in her stead, but it wasn't. He was her hired gun, and he was going to watch her back, not her face, not her body for any signs of hurt. It was his job, he was getting paid. 

He snapped out of his thoughts when they reached a smaller staircase that lead up, no synths in their way here, and Kellogg's reassurance that he, nor they, would not shoot if she agreed to speak peacefully. 

MacCready could see her practically seething with rage as they stepped into the room. He did not lower his weapon, and he took the pulse grenade Hazel slyly handed him, slipping it into this pocket before Kellogg and his robot shits saw him. 

”There she is. The most resilient woman in the Commonwealth."

Shit. There were a lot more synths than he thought there would be, which he was slightly surprised about, having just cut down wave after wave of the ugly things. Still. He would take synths over Ferals any day of the week. 

He hung back near the door as Hazel walked forward to talk with Kellogg, immediately demanding where her son was, not giving the other man a chance to speak. That didn't seem to phase him though, as he began his conversation right where he left off, before informing Hazel that the child she was trying so desperately to find was not there. 

MacCready felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and he gripped his laser pistol a little tighter, checked to see it still had plenty of ammo. 

”I'm going to blow your brains out of your skull you fucking piece of SHIT!"

Hazel's outburst alerted MacCready to her sudden return to his side, she had backed up quickly, putting distance between herself and Kellogg before she pulled the pin on a frag grenade and threw it at at Kellogg. 

Taking the cue, MacCready shot the synth on his left, killing it instantly, before he saw Kellogg literally disappear into thin air, Hazel's grenade detonated, eliminating all but three of the synths in the room. 

He was stunned for a moment before panic started to set in. ”Disappearing? Are you _serious_!" He practically yelled as he shot down the synth that was standing on the stairs and shooting Hazel while she kicked another synth. 

Being unable to see Kellogg, MacCready pulled the pin on the pulse grenade and lobbed it in the direction he last saw Kellogg go before he turned to find some cover, when he noticed a patch of air shimmer and warp, moving closer to Hazel at an alarming rate. 

”Shit, Hazel he's behind you!" 

Hazel whirled around in time for a fist to connect with her abdomen, driving the air out of her lungs in a loud grunt as she doubled in half. 

The Stealth Boy Kellogg had used wore off, and his form came into view again. MacCready saw his window and he took it, loosing what was left of the fusion cells in his pistol into Kellogg's body. 

The man convulsed disgustingly as blood splattered from his mouth and his eyes bulged, a hole ripped right through his side from the speed and force of MacCready's gunfire. He stilled for a moment, looked at Hazel, then up to MacCready before he fell forward, practically onto Hazel as she struggled to move, still winded from the blow to her stomach. 

Kellogg lay dead at her feet, or rather her knees. 

She rolled away from the body and began to vomit, heaving loudly as she emptied to contents of her stomach onto the tiled floor beside her. 

”Oh, oh! Oh no!" MacCready rushed to her side and dropped to his knees and began to rub soothing circles on her back, he rummaged through his pack for a bottle of purified and opened it for her, pushing it into her hand. 

”It's gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay." He soothed. His hand had stilled but he kept it gently on her back, feeling oddly comforted by the small contact, even if she didn't notice his hand was there. 

”Y'know, boss," He said once she had finished vomiting and was only dry heaving every few minutes. He shifted her so she sat with her legs straight and her back against his front. He held her fingers around the bottle of purified water and helped her drink by tilting it to her lips and stroking his other hand across her sweaty forehead, loosening his grip every time her body heaved. ”I honestly thought you'd shoot him between the eyes then loot his corpse. Not vomit all over the floor."

”S-still gonna loot his corpse." She retorted with an attempt at humour in her voice, "I want his jacket." 

MacCready couldn't stop his bark of laughter even if he wanted to. ”Not right now, though, boss. You need to rest up."

”You called me Hazel." 

He did? Oh shit he did. ”Sorry, boss. Won't happen again."

Hazel only shrugged, "I don't mind. Means you trust me."

MacCready snorted and let go of her hand, knowing she could hold the bottle herself now, and began to rock side to side slightly, as if he was soothing a child who had woken from a bad dream.

”You can let me go now, Mac." Hazel said quietly.

”Right!" MacCready said, a little too loudly, snapping his arms from around her torso and scrambling away so fast she almost fell onto her back. 

She laughed as she caught herself and looked over her shoulder at him, "I'm sorry that you feel that way."

”It's not me, it's you." He countered, "I don't know if I could stand being with a trigger happy moron."

”I'm paying you, so you have no choice." Hazel poked her tongue out at him as she crawled over to Kellogg's body and began stripping it of its coat and anything in the pockets of his pants.

”I could take the caps and run."

”Now where's the fun in that?" 

MacCready smiled at the familiar line and began looting the synths, pulling out copper wires and electrical mother boards and placing them in a steadily growing pile. 

”Hey! what'd ya think?" Came Hazel's voice a few moments later. 

MacCready looked up to find she had pulled Kellogg's entire outfit off him and slipped into it, her ammo belt, boots, and leather jacket lying on the ground next to her. 

”I think it's too big." He observed. 

Hazel just laughed. ”Yeah." She began stripping out of it and MacCready looked away even though he was certain she still had her thinner layers on underneath. ”It's not like someone at Sanctuary can't use it."

Sanctuary was sounding more and more like a haven made of gold, MacCready almost couldn't wait to see it with his own eyes. Yet the question still remained, "How are we going to find the Institute?"

Hazel's shoulders visibly slumped and she stopped what she was doing. She tilted her head back to look at the ceiling and she sighed heavily through an open mouth. ”I don't know."

”Hey, hey," MacCready started, regretting bringing the subject up as soon as he saw Hazel's demeanour change. ”We'll think of something, like Kellogg said, you're the most resilient woman in the Commonwealth. Shi--uh, shoot the first thing I saw you do was shoot the head off a dog! You take a sick kind of joy from shooting Super Mutants to crap."

Hazel let go of a watery, one syllable laugh. She looked down at MacCready and smiled in thanks before she looked at her Pip-Boy, "It's late. Too late to travel back to DC. You want to bunk here? Or would you prefer somewhere..." She looked at Kellogg's body, the puddle of vomit beside it, and the dead synths "...cleaner?"

”Let's get above ground." MacCready responded. 

They spread out their sleeping bags on the floor of the main entrance of the fort after placing a mine at every door and jamming them closed with either a chair or a thick beam of wood. MacCready elected to take first watch on the grounds that Hazel needed more rest than him, and so he sat in a chair, legs propped up on the wooden dowels between the front too feet and the back too feet with his rifle against his body. 

He watched her as she slept. She was still. Extremely still, yet if he stared hard enough he could see her chest and stomach moving with each breath she took. 

He shifted a little on the seat, all too aware of how long he had been staring, and turned his attention to the doors, but no matter how hard he tried, he kept returning to look at Hazel. 

She was a force to be reckoned with and MacCready had no doubts that she could actually help him. At first he thought that maybe he could use her to get connected with better, more capable people, but now he's seen that she's more than capable and willing to do anything. Her behaviour was slightly reckless, but then again, wasn't his? Wasn't leaving the Capitol Wasteland to skip across the Commonwealth with the Gunners up his ass reckless? Lucy would say so. He thinks so too. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Hazel shifted, breathing in heavily as she came awake, ready for her shift of the watch. She sat up and squinted around before she made a noise with her tongue that told him she did not like the taste of her mouth before she wriggled out of her sleeping bag. 

”Take mine." She said when MacCready went to crawl into his own. ”It's already warm."

MacCready was too tired to argue and he crawled across to her sleeping bag, settling on his back he placed his hat over his face so he was hidden from her sight and closed his eyes. Her sleeping bag was warm, and it smelt like her, Hubflower and hair that has gone three days without being washed. It was pleasant. MacCready found himself drifting to sleep with the intention to tell her in the morning.


	4. Arsonist's Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Memory Den

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw

_"You can't trust anyone out here. The only thing you can be sure to rely on is your gun and your own aim, so make sure you know what you're doing." The Gunner drilled to MacCready as the sixteen year old demanded to be hired._

_”Of course I fucking know not to trust anyone. I've been using this baby since I was a little shit." MacCready snapped back, petting the stock of his rifle where it lay across his back._

_The Gunner looked down his nose at him. ”Name and age."_

_”Robert MacCready, eighteen." He lied._

_The Gunner paused and looked him up and down once again. ”McReedy and sixteen more like."_

_”MAC-Cready." MacCready bristled and spoke through gritted teeth but loosened his jaw when stabbing pains shot through the back of his jaw. That had been happening a lot recently. ”and I'm eighteen."_

_”Whatever, Reedy." The Gunner gave him a slip of paper and orders to come back in the morning before he turned and entered the bar out front of which MacCready had cornered the man._

_MacCready scoffed and turned back the way he came, shoving the paper into his pocket.  
_

_________________

 

Signing on with the Gunners at such a young age was the worst mistake MacCready could ever remember making. Well, that and running when he should have stayed. He knew the Gunners had outposts all over the country, and when it came time to move from the Capitol Wasteland to the Commomwealth, he had thought that using his name and position in the Gunners would get him security. 

He was so wrong. The Gunners out here were just as bad, if not worse than the ones he had left when he was eighteen. Pillaging, killing, raping, and taunting. Three months since rejoining them was enough to remind him why he had left in the first place, so he cut ties again and spent the rest of his time covering his tracks, throwing them off the scent of the real reason he was out here. 

As far as they knew he had a bird back at the Capitol Wasteland, and if he wasn't there to protect her anyone could take her. MacCready knew better though, even if Lucy was back there she would put up more of a fight than he would. 

MacCready cleared his throat to bring his mind back down to earth. Uncovering old memories will only lead to hurting himself, and it wasn't a wound he could patch up with a bandage. It would take him a few days to pick himself back up and continue. 

Nick Valentine had told them of the Memory Den in Goodneighbor. MacCready knew of it, he had been in there before and used the memory pods once or twice, before he realised that he was just being stupid and he should leave those memories alone, shove them to the back of his mind behind miles of barbed wire, laser traps and frag mines where they belong. 

They had been travelling toward the town for a day now when he realised that she was stalling. Deliberately getting distracted by raiders and Ferals, stopping at the beginning of the Freedom Trail and explaining to him about the secret underground headquarters of the synth-sympathising Railroad. He hated synths. He agreed that they should be eliminated, but she knew learning about them could be her only link into the Institute, so he didn't press the subject. 

”C'mon, boss, we need to get to Goodneighbor." MacCready pushed. 

She nodded and continued the trek. 

 

_______________

 

MacCready had never seen this room in the Memory Den, and he was grateful. Hazel and Nick were talking with the doctor. Almani? Armani? Amari? He didn't care. He sat on the only couch in the room and began to clean his nails with the combat knife Hazel had picked off a raider and given to him. 

”Do you have a piece of it with you?" The doctor asked. 

”I have this."

MacCready looked up, confused as to what she had in her hand. ”F--Far out, Hazel where did you _get_ that?" He didn't remember seeing her crack open Kellogg's skull and remove his brain, if she did he needed to seriously rethink his choices. Now. Immediately. 

”It was attached to the back of his neck, I thought the wiring could be useful." 

MacCready looked at the object again. ”A lot of Kellogg's synths had that on their heads." 

It all made sense now. Kellogg imprinted with synth technology. He connected the dots, Nick was going to be used as a conductor, and Kellogg's memories were going to be fed to Hazel. MacCready couldn't stop his stomach from churning at the thought and he felt nauseous. 

He watched as the glass dome of the memory pod closed over the boss. She turned her head to try and see Amari, but caught MacCready's eye instead. She watched him with the same intensity he watched her and he felt his stomach lurch when the doctor announced she was injecting a serum into Hazel's bloodstream. 

MacCready held his breath. 

_______________

 

_"You seriously don't have the caps?"_

_”What part of no do you not understand?"_

_”You're off to a real bad start McReedy."_

_”Then stop dicking around and give me back my rifle!"_

_The Gunner looked at the mentioned weapon in his hands then back to MacCready. He scoffed in mock amusement before he threw the gun back to MacCready forcefully, making him drop it straight into the gravel._

_”Pick that shit up and report to Gregor." The Gunner demanded before walking away._

_MacCready picked up his gun, dusted it off, before he made the short walk to where Gregor was waiting with a batch of conscripts. They were all obviously older than MacCready. More than likely eighteen, the proper age of sign ups. MacCready was only sixteen, but no one here knew that, and if they did they certainly weren't saying anything._

_Gregor scanned over the conscripts before settling on MacCready. ”You! Go to the medic tent."_

_”Why?" MacCready snapped._

_”You need to have a medical."_

_”I've just had one!" It was true, he had the bruise on the inside of his elbow, inflicted by someone who didn't know what they were doing with a needle, to prove it._

_”You'd best learn to keep that big mouth shut, Reedy, or I'll have to shut it for you, now report to the medic!"_

_MacCready obeyed, albeit reluctantly._

_The next thing he knew MacCready was sitting on a barstool surrounded by a few of the other conscripts. They were all dressed in their fatigues, himself included, with a visible weapons strapped somewhere on their bodies. That's when MacCready saw her._

_Exiting the bathrooms and heading straight for the exit to the street was the first familiar face he had encountered since leaving Little Lamplight. Without a second glance at the group of conscripts MacCready launched himself out off the barstool, almost tripping on the stem on the seat, and charged out the door._

_”Lucy!" He called._

_The young girl whirled around at the mention of her name and MacCready had to try to locate his lungs momentarily. Her hair was long and wavy and it moved in the slight breeze of the night, framing her face but in no less covering her from him._

_When she saw him she smiled, "R.J MacCready! Would you look at you!" She walked towards him and greeted him with a tight hug he returned just as eagerly._

_”You look pale, are you feeling sick?" She asked._

_MacCready only rolled his eyes, "no. I was forced to have two medicals earlier."_

_Lucy snorted, "A soldier, huh?"_

_MacCready looked at her, taller than him by an inch or too, and he shrugged, "uh...yeah. A soldier."_

_”That's great news! You should come by my clinic when you get the chance!"_

_”Still a doctor?" MacCready teased._

_”Still back chatting anyone older than you?"_

_MacCready laughed and was soon joined by Lucy. She turned to walk back in the direction she was heading, MacCready fell into step beside her and they continued to talk. It was like no time had passed between them.  
_

__________________

 

Hazel was crying, almost sobbing as she emerged from the memory pod. ”S-Shaun he...he looks so m-much like him....like Nate."

MacCready felt his heart lurch and a sick feeling came to his stomach. Duncan looked too much like Lucy, just with MacCready's crooked nose. To hear Hazel practically sobbing over finally seeing a glimpse of a baby that was kidnapped from her, the details of which he still did not know, he was struck dumb. Unable to comfort or even make a noise. He honestly did not want to be in Hazel's situation. At least he knew where Duncan was, even if he didn't know if he was still alive. 

That thought made MacCready's eyes widen slightly and he tried to think about something else. He looked at Hazel, her eyes red and puffy, the many dark freckles covering her entire face, the burns on the left corner of her forehead and her left cheekbone. He was struck to find her beautiful, not that he didn't think that before, but because the feeling kept coming back. 

"I have to find Virgil. He's in the Glowing Sea." Hazel explained. 

”It all makes sense!"

Does it?

”Virgil is hiding from the Institute in the one place they can't reach him! You must go to him and ask for his help."

No. No no, the Glowing Sea? She'd die and MacCready knew that. He's running out of time. He followed close behind as she left the room and ascended the stairs. Nick was sitting on a couch in the waiting room of the Memory Den. MacCready's heart leapt out of his throat when Kellogg's voice dribbled out of Nick's lips. 

Hazel must have felt the same way. ”Y-You sounded just like Kellogg!" Her voice was shaking and she had taken a step back from Nick. 

”Doctor Amari said there would be some side effects, an impression left behind. Just give me a moment, kid. I'll be alright." Nick assured. He leaned back in the couch and rested his head against the wall. 

Hazel nodded and jerked her head to the door, signalling it was time for her and MacCready to leave. 

Out on the street Hazel greeted Dogmeat with a solemn pet on the head before she bent down to the canines level and pulled the dog into a hug. Dogmeat didn't complain. He only whined curiously when Hazel stood back up. 

”Home, boy." She ordered the dog. ”Go home." 

Dogmeat looked at her for a moment before barking and doing as he was told, heading through the street of Goodneighbor and out into the Fens when someone opened the door. 

Hazel sighed heavily and looked at her Pip-Boy. ”Lets go to the Rexford. I'm not in the mood to do anything else today."

”Sure thing." MacCready followed.

He was silent as she bought the room and led him to it. Silent as he dumped his pack and barred the door, and as he settled into s chair to clean his rifle, watching as Hazel did the same on the bed. 

She disassembled her rifled quickly, wiped everything down with a critical eye, tutting whenever she found a dirt smear bigger than her thumb. She reassembled her rifle quicker than she took it apart, and pulled out her 10mm pistol to do the same. 

She was too unsettled from the day. MacCready didn't want to upset her further. Once he finished reassembling his rifle he pushed himself down in the chair and pulled his hat down over his face. 

”G'night boss."

There was silence for a moment then the click of a magazine sliding into place and the clatter of the gun being dropped to the floor. ”Night, Mac."

 

_________________

 

_When Lucy's labour continued into the second day without any change MacCready began to panic. He tried to keep the emotion off his face as he helped Lucy walk, even though she could clearly walk on her own she was not complaining about the help he offered, but she knew him better than he knew himself and told him to stop worrying, that she would be fine._

_It was another few hours before things really started to move. The birth was quick, but messy. Lucy tore, badly. With the little medical knowledge he had learnt from her, and from her guiding, he stitched her back up, being exceptionally careful to make a neat row of stitches so she would be comfortable when she healed. He used a stimpak to help her along, much to her relief._

_He sat back and cleaned up the afterbirth, carrying it far away from where they were camped so it would not attract Ferals or dogs. When he returned he found Lucy holding their child close to her breast._

_MacCready had to admit he was curious. He'd never seen a woman feed a child before. So he settled directly across from her and watched intently, with a fond expression on his face._

_”I'm thinking Duncan." Lucy said after a while, her voice quiet, almost a whisper compared to her powerful screams before. Remembering the volume of her pain MacCready knew they'd have to move again, and soon._

_MacCready smiled and nodded, unable to speak. He jerked back suddenly when Lucy made to hand Duncan to him. She smiled, told him it was okay, that he wouldn't break him, and showed him how to hold the baby, how to cradle his head._

_Duncan was watching everything around him, but he stilled when his blue eyes fell on MacCready and he simply stared._

_”H...hi, Duncan." MacCready managed to find his voice. ”Hi. I'm your dad." He moved his hand slightly so he could stroke one finger across Duncan's tiny hand. Duncan latched onto MacCready's finger, his hands so small they could barely wrap around the single digit._

_MacCready almost cried with happiness. ”I'm not going to let anything happen to you."_

_MacCready was seventeen, a husband, a father, and he was going to quit the Gunners for good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to upload this chapter for so long that I just couldn't wait any longer, so have it really early and enjoy it!
> 
> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated :)


	5. Homage for the Suffering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunken grief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> 

MacCready woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door of the room with enough force to almost break it down. He jerked up, realising that he had spent the entire night slumped in the chair when his neck and shoulders screamed in protest. 

”MacCready!" 

That wasn't Hazel's voice. MacCready pushed himself out of the chair and shambled over to the door. He opened it enough to rest his head against the door frame and looked at whoever was at the door with half closed eyes and raised eyebrows. 

”You need to collect your friend. She's making a mess of my lobby." 

”Who?" MacCready was confused. 

”That vault-dwelling merc you're constantly following!" 

MacCready's eyes shot open. Vault Dweller? Well...that explains a lot about her. He looked over his shoulder, still not believing that she wasn't in the room and was greeted by the sight of her pack and her weapons sitting on the bed, the 10mm lying on the floor where she had dumped it the night before. 

MacCready sighed and exited the room, locking the door behind him. 

Down in the lobby Hazel was yelling and shouting, challenging anyone to come near her so she could punch their lights out. She had discarded her leather jacket on the ground around the stool she must have been sitting on, her white shirt was stained from blood, mud and spilt RadAway, and her hair was a mess. 

She stood in the middle of the room, glaring at anyone who looked at her for more than a few moments. A bottle of whiskey in her hand that was one mouthful away from empty, and the reason for her aggressiveness. 

MacCready announced himself with a single word, ”Boss!" 

Hazel whirled around and almost snarled at him. He stood his ground, staring her down with his arms crossed. 

”What the fuck do you want, MacCready?" Hazel spat. 

”I want you to put the grog down and go to bed." 

Hazel scoffed, downed the rest of the whiskey and stomped over to where her jacket was lying. She scooped it up and made to walk passed MacCready, who made the mistake of relaxing. 

As she passed she lashed out, hitting him square in the jaw with a closed fist punch that jarred his fragile teeth and sent lances of pain down his neck. He expected her to come hailing on him in a flurry of fists and rage but when he looked at her she was crying. 

Tears streaked through the dirt on her face and fell to the floor. Her hand was still clenched into a fist, bruises blossomed over her knuckles, possibly from when she hit him, but more likely from whatever she was doing before. 

”I'm sorry." She said through gritted teeth. ”I'm so sorry." 

”You're drunk." MacCready said, a little harsher than he intended. ”Go to bed." 

She listened to him, much to his surprise. He followed behind her as she wobbly climbed the stairs and used the walls for support as she made her way down to their room. She jiggled the doorknob for a moment before she stood back and looked helplessly at MacCready. He unlocked it and grabbed her weapons and her pack, as well as his own, and dumping them out in the hall. 

Hazel had flopped face down on the bed with one boot hanging off her foot. He sighed and pulled her boots off gently, placing them neatly at the side of the bed, before he took her jacket off her and hung it over the back of the chair he had slept in. 

She whined and he looked up to find her watching him. He motioned for her to sit and she obeyed, holding her arms above her head as he removed her soiled shirt and threw it close to the door so he could remember to take it to the communal washers. He kept his eyes on her face, even as she slumped and kept her gaze down at her hands where they rested in her lap, her hair creating a curtain he could not see past. He denied himself the opportunity to see her scars, like the bullet wound on her shoulder and waist, the burn scar on her left arm from a stray molotov that matched the ones on her face in intensity, the tattoo that appeared from under her left arm, and curled towards her breast before disappearing under the black bra she wore. 

He snapped his gaze back up to his face. She still wasn't looking at him and he felt his face burn in embarrassment and shame. 

”Get some sleep boss. We'll move out when you've woken." 

Hazel didn't move as he stood and gathered her shirt and their things, locking the door behind him. He headed out into the street and to the latrines, passed the communal cook pot. He found a clean bucket and filled it with water and brought it to boil over the cook pot fire, then submerged Hazel's shirt from the room, and a few of her other clothes from inside her pack that were dirty and in need of a good scrub. 

He found a bar of soap which smelt like Hubflower and concluded that it was what she normally used to wash and scrubbed it against the worst of the stains on her clothes. His face ached from where she had hit him and he knew he was going to have a large, dark bruise on his jaw, maybe a bit of swelling, but he didn't think too much about it, too busy thinking about the reason Hazel had spent who knows how long drinking herself into a rage.

It had to be the Glowing Sea. The knowledge of having to eventually walk through that destroyed landscape not knowing if she would return gnawing at her. 

MacCready flinched back with a hiss when he let his hands drop too low and burnt himself on the bucket. He shook his head and removed each clothing item carefully and wrung them out before folding them over his arm and carrying them back to their room. 

He hung them around the room, jammed in the wooden planks of the window, on the end of the bed, on the door that he left slightly ajar so he could still hear that she was breathing as he sat on a stool out in the hall, his gun in his lap and his hat pushed back so that is was in danger of falling off his head if he moved too fast. 

He waited for Hazel to wake up. 

 

_______________

 

Hazel was awake for roughly twenty minutes before she rolled out of the bed and thumped on the floor. MacCready heard the noise and came into the room. Hazel was lying on her back staring up at the ceiling, when she heard him come into the room she sat up and took the shirt he offered to her. 

”Mmm, my head hurts." She complained. 

”Well you drank a lot according to everyone else in the building." MacCready explained, collecting the clothes strewn about the room and dumping them on the bed to fold them up, placing them into two different piles, his clothes and her clothes. 

The room was silent while he worked and he looked down at Hazel when he finished with a brow raised. 

She looked away from him, a blush spreading across her cheeks. ”Nate never used to fold washing." She explained. 

MacCready scoffed, "Sounds like he never wanted to help his wife." 

Hazel shrugged, "He was an okay guy, I guess." 

Was. Used to. Past tense. MacCready watched her for a moment longer before he began packing their bags, placing things strategically in her pack, the way she wanted them. ”He not around anymore?"

Hazel was silent. 

”Hey, boss I'm sorry if I've overstepped. I didn't mean to open old wounds or anything." 

”No..no it's okay. Nate...Nate was shot when Kellogg kidnapped Shaun." 

”Oh." He kind of expected that answer, but for some reason he still wanted to hear it from her voice. ”I...I don't meant to be rude, but, I heard that you're a vault dweller?" 

Hazel huffed a laugh. ”Yeah. Vault Dwelling merc. That's me. I much prefer it out on the surface, though."

That was an odd thing to hear. He looked at her quizzically, but she avoided his gaze. He shrugged and tied off her pack before throwing her rifle towards her. She caught it with sluggish hands and hauled herself to her feet to follow him out of the hotel. 

As soon as he opened the doors she hissed and pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag and shoved them on her nose. ”Right." She said, clicking through her Pip-Boy. She sighed, blowing hair up towards her fringe to get it out of her face. ”We go to Sanctuary, and pick up every Fusion Core from here to Washington."

”Washington?" 

”Nevermind." 

_________________

 

They had been walking for a few hours when MacCready finally decided to pluck up the courage and ask.

”Nice to be out of Goodneighbor." He began, looking sideways at Hazel as she walked with a scowl, her nose scrunched as she squinted behind the tinted lenses of her sunglasses. ”That place was starting to wear out its welcome."

”What's wrong with Goodneighbor?" She asked. ”I rather like it. Much better than the stuck up snobs in Dimond City."

”Lets put it this way, Can't get much rest when you're sleeping with one eye open." 

Hazel barked in laughter, throwing her head back and her arm out so she forcefully tapped MacCready on the chest. He recoiled, laughing too. 

”If you didn't like it so much, why didn't you set up somewhere else?" 

”The Commonwealth is a dangerous place when you're hard up for caps." 

”Caps aren't everything." 

”Easy for you to say, but I need every cap I can get right now."

”You sound like I'm not paying you." Hazel defended. 

”I didn't mean it like that." MacCready paused, he looked down at his feet, away from her, before he rubbed his mouth and chin with his free hand and turned his face back to her. They stopped walking, and Hazel was looking concerned now. ”Look, you've been straight with me, so now I'm going to be straight with you. Those two assh--" he caught the curse before he could say it, "those two idiots I was talking to in the Third Rail, you remember? Winlock and Barnes?"

Hazel nodded. 

”They've been hounding me for months and it's been driving off clients, and truthfully, scaring the heck out of me. No one wants to work with me when they learn that I used to run with the Gunners. I was hoping that if I could gather enough caps, I could buy them out."

Hazel was quiet for a moment, she pursed her lips and made a sucking noise with her teeth. ”Personally, I wouldn't trust them, even if you do pay them off, they might start hounding you for caps."

”Yeah, that's what I was thinking." MacCready sighed, "They'll probably take the caps and put a bullet in my skull for good measure. I can't allow that to happen."

”Then what are you thinking?" 

MacCready was silent for a moment before he told her his plan. ”Winlock and Barnes are camped out at the Mass Pike Interchange. If we hit them where it hurts, put this to rest once and for all, maybe we can stop them before they hunt me down?  
”Before you give me a look of hopelessness, just know that I wouldn't be asking if I didn't trust you." 

”You trust me? Even after I lashed out and damaged your pretty face?" Hazel asked, sounding genuinely surprised. 

”Pretty face?"

Hazel averted her gaze, pointedly making sure he couldn't see her face. He laughed. ”Yes, I still trust you."

She turned back to him, "I'll help."

MacCready was taken aback at the bluntness of her response. ”Really?"

She nodded. 

"Wow. I honestly don't know what to say, thank you. It...it's been a while since I've actually been able to rely on someone. You're different though, I have a funny feeling that you _actually_ care about what happens to me."

”We're friends, Mac. Of course I care." 

Friends. MacCready couldn't stop his smile from spreading across his face. He pulled the brim of his hat down in an attempt to hide his teeth, since his lips weren't doing a very good job at that moment. 

The next thing he knew Hazel's Pip-Boy was being pushed into his hands, vital signs beeping like crazy from the lack of an arm to assess. He looked at it then looked at her, and eyebrow raised. She shook it till he took it from her, holding it carefully as if he had never seen her slam it into the face of a raider before. 

”Put the coordinates of the interchange on the map. We'll head over there now." 

”It's gonna take a few days, boss." 

She shrugged, "Glad I have a friend to keep me company."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated :) I love reading what you have to say about the fic


	6. Clear My Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mass Pike Interchange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8

MacCready swore in a constant string internally. He gripped his rifle tight and kept a hand on the small bag of grenades strapped to his waist yet he could still feel his hands shaking. 

They didn't have much of a plan, just get in, blow it up, get out. He had warned her about the possible bots, more than likely an assaultron or sentry bot. Fuck he hoped there wasn't an Assultron, they'd have no hope then. 

Sure Hazel was good at disarming synths and Protectrons, but he had never seen her against an Assultron. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat as Hazel hit the button for the elevator and it began to rise. She looked surprisingly calm for someone who was possibly about to walk through Death's door, but he didn't let her façade fool him, she was probably just as nervous as him. 

They both carried their rifles, electing to pick up any extra guns from anyone they mow down. A small bag of grenades, and Hazel carried three frag mines. They had left their packs on the ground, hidden in a ditch covered by thistles against the concrete pillion of the collapsed freeway. He hoped to all hell that it was enough. 

The elevator jolted to a stop and they both ducked as low as they could. MacCready had informed her of both elevators, and they had elected to take the less guarded one. Their choice paid off. No one was around to see or hear them creeping their way down the interchange toward the tightly packed base. 

The first group they encountered they were able to pick off with ease, killing them one by one from afar. Hazel had modified a suppressor for his rifle and he found himself thankful as he watched the first line fall without call for backup. 

”Come on." Hazel whispered to him and she took off, keeping low as she approached the first body and began checking the Gunner's pockets. MacCready found himself scanning their faces, checking to see if he knew anyone. He found no one he recognised, they must have been new conscripts or older veterans he had not yet met. 

”Here." Hazel placed about 80 caps in his pocket, and gave him a laser pistol with enough ammo to take down a Mirelurk Hunter. 

Again she led the way; weaving between cars, she placed a mine between a car and a truck, three Gunners were just a head of them. She waved him back, pushing him to stay behind a barricade a further way back down the road. She pulled out a penny. Where the fuck is she picking up pennies from!? And threw it at the Gunners. When they turned around, confused, she threw another one. 

The distraction proved effective and they filed between the truck and car. Hazel dashed out of the space and came back to MacCready. She set up her rifle on the lip of the barricade and lined up her shot. She was so close MacCready could feel her body heat, could smell the slight sheen of sweat that had begun to form on her brow. She loosed a shot, the quiet pheeew of the bullet the only sign she had pulled the trigger, that is before the bullet hit the frag mine and ripped the three Gunners apart as if they were nothing but mannequins. 

They lay still behind the barricade, each looking through the scopes of their guns. MacCready's scope was beginning to prove useless as the sun began to set, and so he relied mostly on Hazel's use of her night vision scope. 

Until she looted a wooden crate they came across and found a pair of night vision goggles. She held them up, a look of absolute astonishment on her face. 

_Holy fuck!_ She mouthed before tossing them to him. He caught them and slipped them on. Holy fuck was right. These things were amazing. He looked around and stared at Hazel, perplexed at the reflective light in her eyes. 

She put a finger to her lips and pointed towards the Gunner base, they were now within a few meters of the base. MacCready could see Barnes, Gregor--mother eff! Gregor was out here?--and an Assultron. 

Shit. 

Hazel had seen it too. ”Shit." She whispered, echoing his own thoughts. She rubbed her mouth as she pulled back from her scope. “Okay." She turned to MacCready. ”I'll take out Barnes, then you move closer and place this mine;" she passed him a pulse mine, "Then I'll shoot the thing in the head and draw it onto the mine. Hopefully that'll at least cripple its legs."

MacCready nodded. It was better than what he had in mind, plough as much led into the thing as they carried. He waited till she moved into position, she shot. Using the night vision goggles, he looked through his scope in time to see Barnes go down, the back of his head erupted in a disgusting display of blood and brains. He took that as his cue and quickly moved forward, placing the frag mine between the bus and the concrete barricade. 

That's when the Assaultron picked up on his life signs and came charging around the corner. It was moving too quickly, MacCready was going to get caught in the blast from the mine. He panicked and jumped over the barricade, straight into the sights of Gregor and the turret who opened fire immediately. 

”Shit!" MacCready let the curse loose, pulling his laser pistol out and shooting at anything that moved. 

He hit Gregor in the chest, crippling his chest piece before attempting to blow up the turret. He caught sight of Hazel exchanging fire with the Assaultron, every now and again she popped up from behind a car and used Kellogg's pistol to shoot the damn thing, but it kept getting closer to her. 

MacCready lost sight of them again when heavy thumping announced the arrival of Winlock. The bastard had a mismatched suit of Power Armour and was now backing up the Assaultron in its attack on Hazel. MacCready took cover behind Gregor's shack as the machine turret continued to fire relentlessly. Gregor came around in an attempt to catch MacCready off guard. Before he could get a shot off Gregor threw himself at MacCready, punching him in the jaw where Hazel had hit him a few days prior. 

His skin was still bruised and the new blow made him see stars momentarily before he threw a punch back at Gregor. He felt the satisfying give of flesh and swung again, hitting the same spot repeatedly. Gregor swung and kicked MacCready's legs out from under him, sending him down to the road. MacCready just managed to stop his fall in enough time to avoid smashing his face into the ground. That's when he remembered the knife Hazel had given him. It still sat in the neck of his boot. 

As quick as he could he grabbed the knife from his boot, possibly cutting himself in the process, and began to jab wildly at Gregor. Hand to hand combat was never MacCready's best skill, in fact he hated it. He'd rather spend hours on top of a building waiting for his target to walk into the cross hairs of his rifle, than actively seek them out and gut them with a knife. 

Unfortunately that was his only option at the current time. After a few swings hitting empty air he felt the resistance of human flesh and kept pushing. Gregor shouted in pain and tried to push MacCready off him but he had too good a hold. One hand fisted in Gregor's shirt, the other driving the knife home repeatedly till Gregor lay dead at his feet, a bloodied mess. 

The sound of a laser gun brought MacCready's attention back to the real danger. The Assaultron had lost both its arms and Winlock was steadily making progress in reaching Hazel. With the use of its arms gone, the Assaultron had taken to shooting thick laser beams at Hazel, hitting anything around her constantly. She was trapped between the wall, Winlock and the bot, and in desperate need of help. 

MacCready quickly pulled the pin on a grenade and lobbed it at the Assaultron. It bounced off the back of the bots head and clattered the to asphalt a few inches away. When the bot turned to see what had happened the grenade detonated, blowing the thing high into the sky in a million pieces. Winlock was caught in the blast too, he was thrown back several feet and the helmet of his Power Armour dislodged. 

He now lay on his back right next to MacCready, who wasted no time in shooting him between the eyes. 

Hazel was nowhere to be found. MacCready disregarded Winlock and the Assaultron in favour of running to where he had last seen her. His heart leapt into his throat when he realised that she would have been caught in the grenade blast too if she didn't move away fast enough. 

Upon inspection, her body was not found near the blast radius. ”Hazel?" 

A pained groan was his response. Back inside the bus Barnes had set up shop outside of was Hazel. She was lying on the floor of the vehicle clutching her side, trying to stem the flow of blood to no avail. Dark red liquid seeped through her clothes and between her fingers, covering her hand and falling onto the floor of the bus. Her right leg was at a slightly unnatural angle and her eyes moved as if she was spinning. 

”I'm dizzy, Mac." She said dumbly when she managed to locate him. 

”Oh crap." MacCready dropped to his knees and peeled her hand away from her side. When he did her wound bled a little more. 

”Damn bot got a hit." She said through gritted teeth. 

MacCready only huffed a laugh and cut up some long johns he stripped from a Gunner and wrapped them around her waist, covering the wound as best he could. Blood seeped through the material within a few moments. He knew it was bad. 

He scooped her up and jogged back to their entry point, punched the button and descended to where they had hidden their packs. He propped her in a sitting position against the concrete pillar and rummaged through his pack till he found the small lunchbox of medical supplies. Med-X, a Stimpak and a Bloodbag should be what he needed. 

”This is gonna hurt boss."

”Go easy on the Med-X." 

He nodded before gently inserting the needle into her arm, having to redo it twice because he missed the vein, much to her annoyance. Soon the Med-X began to kick in and her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she moved her head around, entranced by the numbing of the needle. 

While she was distracted, MacCready cut open her jacket and shirt, making a mental note to find her another, better, jacket as an apology, before he began to press the Stimpak into the area around the wound, not too close, but also not close enough. 

As Hazel told him, "Too far, Mac." She slurred. ”You gotta, push the stim as close as you can." 

For a moment she sounded like Lucy, guiding him step by step as he stitched her back up, patient despite her obvious pain. He followed Hazel's orders as closely as he did Lucy's so long ago, and soon he found the Stimpak doing its job, the gapping wound in her side was rapidly closing and she was squirming, complaining of it itching. 

He used her Pip-Boy to hook up the Bloodbag, removing the clear tubing he had seen her use for RadAway he let the Bloodbag drip into her arm. He watched as the Med-X wore off and fatigue began to set in. Her eyes were heavy every time she blinked and her head was slowly dropping to rest on her shoulder. 

Not wanting her to be too uncomfortable, MacCready moved her so she was cradled in his lap, he manipulated her sleeping bag around her and rocked her gently, soothing her to sleep. 

Just before she went under she mumbled something MacCready didn't hear. Once she fell asleep MacCready removed another Stimpak and a shard of mirror and carefully stimed the open wound on his face, bruised before, but bleeding now. 

Once finished he cleaned the needle on all syringes and packed them away before turning and looking at the eastern horizon. The sun would be up soon, and with it the opportunity to trek back to Sanctuary. For now, though, he let Hazel sleep.


	7. Ghost Towns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've seen more places than I can name  
> And over time they all start to look the same  
> But it ain't that truth we chase  
> No, it's the promise of a better place
> 
>  
> 
> NSFW scenes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40

”You're a good guy, Robert."

 

_A military wedding was what Hazel and Nathaniel had agreed upon. Nate being a soldier, and Hazel being an Army Nurse it was the perfect set up. They lived with her parents for a year, till they were, quite literally, thrown out for practically taking over the house._

_Their little house in Sanctuary Hills was one of the first built, the town was only just starting to develop and neighbours introduced themselves almost every other day._

_Hazel's favourite part of the house was the Grand Piano taking up pride of place in the living room, black finish, ebony keys, every day she sat down to play. Some days she'd play something simple, like a show tune, other days she would play for hours, memorising complicated passes and replicating them on the piano._

_Nate would always sit on the couch and turn the TV down so he could listen and she could concentrate better._

_”Have you ever thought about kids?" He asked one day, averting her gaze by pointedly staring at a newspaper._

_Hazel shrugged from her position in the kitchen where she was folding the washing and placing it into neat piles on the counter top. Of course she had thought about it, but she didn't know what she'd do for work. She was in her last year of her law degree, she didn't want to be written off as emotional just because she had a kid at her waist._

_But the idea of children sounded nice._

_”I don't know. It would be nice to have children in the house, but I don't think now is the best time." She explained._

_”We might not get a better time. We never know what tomorrow will bring." Nate responded._

_Hazel only made a face at him, "You don't need to tell me that. I've spent far too many hours patching you up after you'd gone and gotten yourself shot."_

_”Hey that's not fair! You spent about as much time out in the field as I did!"_

_”And I can still beat your ass at a shooting range!"_

_They shared a laugh, teasing each other as Nate got out of the chair and caught her in a tight hug that caused her to squeal as he tickled her sides._

_”Nathaniel David Moore! Don't you dare!"_

_”Hazel Louise Moore, you know I wouldn't."_

_”Then stop!" She couldn't stop her laughter as she attempted to get away from Nate's dancing fingers._

_All at once Nate let her go and she scrambled away, wheezing slightly. She turned to find Nate watching her with a fondness to his gaze she had not seen before. He approached her slowly this time and pulled her into a warm, tight hug. She melted into the embrace and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her nose into his shirt._

_”I'd love to have kids with you, Nate. Just not right now."_

___________________

_”Are you sure that's what you want?"_

_”Yes, RJ, it's what I want."_

_”Okay...but really?"_

_A laugh, "Yes, Robert, I want to have a child with you."_

_MacCready couldn't stop the smile from splitting his face as he stood on his toes to press a kiss to Lucy's lips. Since running into her they had spent more time together, probably more time now than they ever did in Little Lamplight, and the thought made MacCready's head spin with happiness._

_MacCready wrapped Lucy up in his arms in a tight hug and they stumbled back towards the bed they now shared. As their legs hit the side they tumble down onto it on their sides, still entwined as small pecks became deeper, longer kisses._

_They're clumsy with nervous inexperience despite having slept together several times before, hands moving everywhere with no real purpose and its Lucy who decides to take charge, giving MacCready the chance to clear his head of all his nagging thoughts._

_He brings her pleasure first with his fingers, panting heavily himself and trying to control his desires, wanting to make sure he can last to give her the pleasure and happiness she deserves. Her second orgasm comes with his head between her legs, having never given anyone oral before he was uncertain, scared, and bit a little too hard at times, but Lucy's gentle reassurances and slight guidance helped him bring her to ecstasy, and he wanted to do it again, but he was certain he wouldn't last if he did._

_They chased each other to their end, limbs tangled, wrapped tightly around the other, clinging, kissing, and grunting till they were both spent and exhausted._

_They fell asleep tangled in each other._

___________________

_It's now or never._

_Nate's words bounced around her head even as she tried to keep a grip on the headboard to meet him. They were given the news of his deployment earlier that day, and she thought what the hell, there's really no reason to put it off any longer._

_She was certain she was still too inexperienced to be a mother, but Nate constantly reassured her that she would make an excellent mother, after all, an army nurse could take down the earth with a child on her back._

_She called Nate's name loudly as he brought her to orgasm again and again. She feels oddly embarrassed at the volume and intensity of here cries, but it only seemed to spur Nate into trying to make her scream again._

_He grunted her name against her neck, biting the flesh almost as much as she bit his. They moved in tandem, sweat forming as their breaths came heavier and her cries got louder._

_She came as he did, calling his name into their bedroom like a prayer while he pushed her name into the crook of her neck with his breath. Sweaty and slightly uncomfortable Hazel repositioned herself under him so she could curl into his chest, pressing soft kisses to the underside of his jaw._

_”I'm not done with you yet." Nate whispered as his hand began tracking down her body._

_She cried his name again with his hand between her legs, and again with her nipple between his teeth, and again when he had recovered for another, shorter round before they both slipped into sleep in each other's arms._

_______________

_Duncan was almost a year old and he had travelled more than MacCready did at that age. Carried by either his mother or his father the boy took in his surroundings at all times and constantly wanted to be put down so he could attempt to walk to their next destination._

_He had begun to walk, taking small steps to cover tiny distances between Lucy to MacCreay, or MacCready to Lucy. Either way, MacCready was overcome with the joy of knowing his son was developing a healthy body._

_They had been walking for the better part of the day when MacCready suggested they camp for the night, Duncan was getting fussy, and Lucy needed to rest her feet. They walked till they found a metro station, perfect for keeping them dry in case it rained, and relatively out of the way of raiders._

_They scouted the station back as far as they could handle on their tired feet before rolling out their sleeping bags and placing their packs down. Duncan was fussing, pushing against MacCready wanting to walk. MacCready stood up and held both of Duncan's hands in his own above the boy's head so he could help Duncan waddle around the station._

_Lucy was asleep; curled up safe in her sleeping bag almost as soon as she had the chance. MacCready slung his rifle over his shoulder and walked wherever Duncan wanted to go. They were almost back to the entrance when the blood running through MacCready's veins ran cold._

_Lucy was screaming._

_The hairs on the back of his neck stood up in warning even as he turned to see what had happened. A pack of Ferals had appeared, MacCready could see more of them approaching, crawling out from under carts and who the fuck knows where else._

_Lucy was trying to fight off the few that had approached her. One already lay dead at her feet, and she drove the knife in her hands into another's head repeatedly. MacCready made to move towards her, to help, when another charged her and sunk its teeth right into her neck, blood erupted from her neck and shoulder when it pulled away, a sizeable chunk of her flesh between its teeth._

_The smell of blood must have alerted the others, and they charged her at once._

_”LUCY!" MacCready screamed._

_”GRAB DUNCAN AND RUN!" Was Lucy's response. MacCready could think of nothing else but to obey. He scooped up the ten month old who had begun to cry in fear and ran out into the night. He didn't stop running, even after he was certain he wasn't being followed._

_He ran till his knees threatened to buckle and he was forced to stop so he did not drop Duncan. He turned around, staring back down the way he had come and his heart dropped._

_He could no longer see the metro station._

________________

_"The scars are ugly, Hazel."_

_”You really think I had a choice in the matter?"_

_”Wouldn't Chemo have cleared it up?"_

_”No, Nate! It wouldn't have!"_

_Hazel was breathing heavily as she stared Nathaniel down. He had refused to touch her left breast, claiming he did not want to hurt her, even after she had told him several times that she was in no pain, and that it was okay._

_Now she stood in front of him, dressed in nothing but her underwear with her arms crossed over her breasts, hiding them and the scars from her lumpectomy from him. She honestly could not believe him._

_”What did you think was going to happen, Nate? That I'd go through chemotherapy, then come out of it unscathed? No, Nate. Cancer isn't that kind." Hazel explained._

_”I just...I'm upset that you had to go through that."_

_”No, you're upset that your wife has a lopsided chest and a nipple-less boob."_

_Nate closed his mouth with an audible click. Hazel shook her head and turned her gaze to the ceiling, fighting back tears. She gathered her shirt and pants from the floor, "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. You're getting up to Shaun whenever he cries."_

_Nate said nothing as she left the room._

_The next morning she woke just as Nate left for work, no apologies were exchanged as he closed the door behind him. Hazel pulled herself from the couch and walked into the bathroom where she removed her shirt and inspected her chest in the mirror._

_It had been a few months since the operation that saved her life, and the scars on her breast were white, but large and very, very visible. She sighed. Maybe Nate was right, the scars were ugly. She walked out of the room and picked up the phone, dialling her mother's number._

_That night, when Nate came home, Hazel removed her shirt and bra, and showed him the tattoo that covered her left breast._

_He didn't complain, but he also didn't compliment._

___________________

_Duncan had a weaker than average immune system, according to Lucy, and he'd come down with a cold or the flue often, so when MacCready noticed his fever he wasn't too worried, just a couple of hits of Med-X mixed with Mutfruit juice and he'd be okay in a couple of days._

_Five years without Lucy and MacCready was proud to say he remembered all the medical information she taught him. He took Duncan with him everywhere, only leaving him behind when he knew he'd have to blow the brains out of some raider. The farm that was his homestead flourished, and they had more than enough food during harvest to see them through the tougher times._

_”Daddy, I feel sick." Duncan complained when they were out in the razor grain field._

_MacCready looked up from the stalks and down at Duncan. Something was off. Duncan had been feeling sick for close to a week now, longer than usual. MacCready placed his rake down and bent at the knees so he could look at Duncan eye to eye._

_The boy was pale, chalky white and his eyes looked heavy. He swayed slightly on his feet, causing MacCready to reach out to hold him steady. When his hand touched Duncan's side he jerked it back, something definitely wasn't right. He placed his hand back on Duncan's side and Duncan winced in pain._

_”Lift your shirt for me, buddy." MacCready asked gently, helping him lift his shirt up so it was bunched under his arm pits. ”What is_ that _?"_

_On Duncan's skin, just below the side of his rib cage was a large, painful looking lump. MacCready leaned closer to get a better look, and he gently probed it. His suspicions confirmed when Duncan flinched away, it was causing him pain._

_MacCready straightened up and lifted Duncan into his arms, "Come on, let's get you some medicine."_

_Duncan was almost limp in his arms, curled against his, his head on MacCready's shoulder. His breathing was loud and when he sniffled it sounded like his nose was congested to all hell, it must have been causing the infection smell of Duncan's breath. Either way, it was bad news._

_MacCready helped Duncan into bed after the usual medicine of Med-X and Mutfruit and watched him for a moment. His heart beat picked up speed at his helplessness and he hoped it was just a twenty-four hour thing._

_He had never been so wrong._

_The next morning Duncan could barely lift his head, and the single boil on his side had multiplied. Several covered his neck, spreading to his jaw and cheek, they danced down his arms and over his torso and legs. Only this time they weren't just simple boils. The puss within them was a bruised blue in colour and some of them were weeping, filled to breaking point and a slow trickle of clear ooze and blue puss leaked down Duncan's skin._

_”Okay, come with me, Duncan. We're going into town."_

_MacCready carried Duncan the entire trip into the town, they came across no caravans on their way, which was not unusual. Once there MacCready began asking around for some form of a cure. Anything._

_Duncan was getting weaker by the second, he no longer opened his eyes, and any time MacCready tried to speak to him to see if he was still awake he was rewarded with a soft, weak hum._

_This was not good._

_Finding nothing in the town MacCready began the trek back home. On the way back Duncan seemed to gather a little more energy and he was beginning to complain about being carried. MacCready out him down and held his hand once the house came into view, Duncan walked wobbly but he didn't let MacCready pick him up again._

_Almost as soon as they entered the house, Duncan headed straight for his bedroom and climbed into bed._

_MacCready watched him, concern and fear bubbling below the surface of his emotions. He closed the door and went into the kitchen in an attempt to clear his mind. When nothing was happening he followed Duncan's idea and climbed into bed. His sleep was fitful._

_The next morning Duncan was crying, more boils had cropped up on his skin and others had burst in a bloody, pussy mess. MacCready helped Duncan out of bed and prepared a bath, heating water and pouring it into the tub. He stripped Duncan of his clothes, wincing with the boy every time he accidentally brushed a boil and caused him pain, and helped him into the tub._

_Not wanting to leave Duncan alone for a second while he bathed, MacCready sat on a stool in the corner, trying to talk with Duncan while the little boy sat in the bath, completely spent from the simple act of walking to the bathroom._

_Once his bath was over MacCready dressed him in fresh clothes and carried him to his own bed, tucking him in he left the room and stripped Duncan's bed of the soiled sheets. The puss left on the bedding smelt like decay and MacCready had to try not to gag as he scrubbed the sheets and hung them out on a wire outside._

_He returned to check on Duncan, and found him fast asleep. MacCready crawled into the other side of the bed and nestled behind Duncan, one arm over his son's body. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, tears came to his eyes and he squeezed them shut to prevent the tears from falling onto the pillow._

_MacCready must have dozed off, he was awoken by a knock at the door. Duncan was still asleep, when MacCready checked on him he noticed his breathing was shallow and his chest rattled as if his airways were swollen._

_Swallowing a lump of emotion MacCready shuffled to the door and answered it. It was Sinclair_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write smut. I'm sorry


	8. Strange and Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”You seem very optimistic of the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40  
> http://youtu.be/ZwGWRrIlz68

MacCready kept a close eye on Hazel as she slept off the chems, keeping her within his grasp he continued to rock her till she woke groggily. She groaned, mumbled, and rubbed her nose into the material of his duster before she sighed and opened her eyes. 

As if she suddenly realised that the man holding her was not her husband she jerked back, hurrying to apologise, while MacCready tried to spew his own apologies at the same time. They both fell silent, looking at each other before they laughed together. Carefully Hazel extracted herself from MacCready's grip, being careful not to jolt her broken leg to give the stimpak some time to work itself through her bone. 

She was exhausted, MacCready could tell. She slumped against her pack with a wince and continued to struggle keeping her eyes open. As much as MacCready wanted to let her sleep he knew they had to move, they were too exposed, even if they decided to climb back up to the Gunner base, he knew more of them would show up in a day or two, some might even appear within a few hours. 

But he needed to speak to her first, "Hey," he started, jolting her out of a sleepy haze. He refrained from smiling when he saw her blink forcefully and focus on him. ”I...I wanted to thank you for doing this. It really means a lot, we've sent a good message to the Gunners, hopefully they'll stay off my back."

Hazel shifted so he was sitting up straighter, "You're not worried they'll retaliate?"

MacCready shook his head; "Nah, they have no way of knowing I was involved." He paused. She had stuck her neck out for him, and he knew she could have been killed--she almost was killed. If he hadn't found her when he did she would have bled out on the floor of that bus. He wondered what she would have been thinking about. Would be have been cursing his name to his grave? Or would she be thinking about his loyalty, how many caps she had paid to have him drag her out here only to die?

He shook himself slightly, it was not the time to think of that, after all, Hazel was alive--extremely tired, but alive. ”Anyway, I guess I owe you now."

”No, Mac. I'm glad I could help."

”Wait, just hear me out. You didn't have to do this, hell I probably could have done it myself, but you still came all the way out here, putting your own plans on hold." MacCready was looking at his hands as he spoke, using the brim of his hat to hide his eyes, as he continued he lifted his gaze so he was watching Hazel. ”Look, I'm going to give you back the caps you gave me in Goodneighbor." 

Hazel's eyes widened in surprised and her mouth worked with feeble attempts to form coherent words. 

MacCready dug in his pack and removed the pouch of caps that had settled on the bottom of the bag, all 200 caps, plus the extra 50 she had given him in Dimond City. He tossed the pouch to her and she scrambled to catch it. He sat back against his pack with his arms crossed and a smug smile across his lips. ”I'll stick with you, that was part of the original deal, but know now that it's because I trust you, not because you're paying me." 

Hazel tossed the pouch of caps between her hands for a few seconds before she snorted and looked up at him, "Does this mean I don't have to pay for your medical supplies?" 

”You don't even pay for your own supplies, you just steal them from doctors and unsuspecting raider corpses." MacCready said, his voice rising slightly. 

Hazel laughed "Yeah, okay, you got me."   
MacCready smiled before he spoke again, "Well, I guess we're done here. Lead on, boss." 

Hazel quirks an eyebrow at him before she pocketed the caps and struggled to her feet, using MacCready's shoulders and head--a little too heavily for a moment--as support. He continued to keep a hand on his shoulder, even as he stood, so she could keep most of her weight off her injured leg. 

”Okay, boss?" MacCready asked once he stood, both packs in his hands. 

”My leg hurts like a bitch." Hazel complained. Without waiting for confirmation, she slung her arm over his shoulders and he immediately snapped his arm around her waist, supporting her weight on his side. 

She pried her pack from his hands and secured it on her shoulder, as well as her rifle. ”Okay, let's go." 

”Where are we going?" 

”Sanctuary." 

 

__________________

 

The going was slow, Hazel's leg was worse than they had first anticipated, when they stopped first she used another Stimpak to speed the healing along, gritting her teeth against the tingling, numbing sensation of the chem. She cleaned the syringe and placed it in a lunchbox with the rest in her pack. 

MacCready carefully pushed her shirt up to expose her side, blushing slightly when Hazel huffed and just pulled the garment off. He doubled his efforts in focusing on the healing wound on her side instead of her skin, her bra, the discoloured patches of rough skin along her shoulders. He tiled his head a little at those before using a clean rag and a bottle of purified to clean the pink, raw skin around Hazel's side, making her hiss and flinch. 

While he worked Hazel scratched the inside of her elbow and the side of her neck. It was almost constant, almost like a nervous tick, but the force she used said differently. 

”Something irritating you, boss?" MacCready asked after he had finished cleaning and redressing Hazel's wound. 

”Hmm?" Hazel jerked to look at him before realising that she had started scratching her arm again, "Oh, no, just...no, no. I'm okay." She looked at her Pip-Boy, bowing hair out of her face in concentration, "We'll be within range of the main route in a few hours, at our pace maybe by sundown." 

”Mmhmm." MacCready implored. 

”Hopefully we'll come across someone who has more supplies, maybe even a guard so we don't have to take turns sleeping." Hazel explained, dropped the arm with her Pip-Boy on it. 

MacCready nodded, "I like that idea." He heaved himself to his feet and held his hand out for Hazel, who took it and used it to pull herself up. They resumed their previous positions and continued to limp through the scrub and dirt in the general direction of the road. 

As they walked, Hazel gradually stopped leaning on MacCready till she was walking with a slight limp without support. 

”Hey," Hazel whirled around at the sound of MacCready's voice, he was walking alongside her with a lopsided grin on his face. ”Did you hear about the Super Mutant that kept wondering why a rock just kept getting bigger?" 

”No...?" Hazel asked slowly. 

”It hit him." MacCready laughed at his own joke, possibly a little too much, when Hazel did nothing but stare at him with a confused smile and raised eyebrows he stopped slowly. ”No?" 

Hazel snorted, "Where did you get that one? It was awful!" 

”Aww c'mon! You loved it." 

Hazel shook her head, still laughing. She shoved him with the palm of her hand, sending him stumbling a little sideways. The laugh MacCready let loose was more of a squeaking noise through his nose as he tried to regain his footing so he wouldn't fall over. He continued to giggle quietly as they walked, to the point Hazel ordered him to cover her back. 

With another laugh he agreed, walking six steps behind her at all times. Eventually he quietened, and they resumed they quiet walk. Hazel's limp had diminished, and she walked with her back straight and shoulders down. He could only imagine her chin was up, defying anyone or anything in front her. 

The longer he travelled with her the more he found he wanted to learn about her. MacCready _wanted_ to know the reason she scratched at her skin, why she walks they way she did, even why she seemed to want to swan dive straight into any body of water she came across despite the risk of radiation poisoning. 

She was pretty, he could not deny that, she was also bigger than he was used to seeing on women in the Commonwealth. The only women he knew to have bigger builds were vault dwellers, but even then they still held a lankiness to their build, Hazel seemed to have never been lanky. Her shoulders were back and down, giving the impression that she has spent years having to counter the weight of her breasts, and he wondered if she ever got back pains. Lucy developed back pains during her pregnancy, as she gained weight. 

Hazel's hips were wider too, and her stomach created a muffin top over pants that were a little too small on her, but too large on him. 

He liked it. Not that he'd ever tell her that. 

His train of thought was derailed when Hazel let out a loud whoop and began to run towards the road. MacCready took off, his back leg pushing off the ground a little too hard and he grit his teeth against the shooting pain up his calf. Hazel had jumped out onto the road and was waving her arms above her head. 

Further down the road a large caravan moved, at least three brahmin overloaded with supplies walked down the road, flanked by more than eight guards and three provisioners. The settler leading the procession looked up and waved back, cheering and calling, "A-hoy, General!" 

”General?" MacCready huffed when he stopped beside Hazel and doubled over, trying to catch his breath. 

”Yeah, General of the Minutement. I thought I'd told you that." Hazel explained. She began walking towards the caravan, unloading her rifle and slinging it over her shoulder. 

Once she reached the ground she grasped the forearm of the settler and clapped them on the back in a quick hug. 

”Wow, what a haul this time. How did you all end up meeting?" Hazel asked the settler, Norman. 

Norman jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Trash-can Carla, "She was slowed down by Mutants, and he--" He pointed at the third settler, "Overslept." 

MacCready laughed, "Overslept?" 

The settler in question looked away grumbling confirmations, making Hazel laugh. Within moments the large caravan was moving again at a slower pace than MacCready was used to while travelling with Hazel, but it was hardly unpleasant. 

He took up position between two of the guards, walking with his rifle held loosely in his hands. Hazel walked at the front of the procession, clicking through pages on her Pip-Boy. MacCready let his mind empty of all thoughts and just followed the shuffling footsteps of the caravan till the sun set and one of the guards almost fell over from drowsiness. 

At the noise Hazel ordered the caravan to stop. They moved off the road to a thicket of threes of brush that she and MacCready spent a good hour making sure was clear of anything that could cause them harm, before hearing the Brahmin into the thicket and tying them to the trunks of the trees. 

MacCready spread out his sleeping bag with his now half-empty pack as a pillow. As he settled under the blanket he was surprised to see Hazel settling down beside him. He paused and watched her until she turned to him. She smiled and flopped down under the blanket of her sleeping bag, ”What?"

”I thought you were going to take first watch?" MacCready explained. 

”Norman wouldn't let me." She answered. She yawned and placed her newsboy cap over her face, obscuring her eyes rom him. 

MacCready let the conversation drop and he lay on his back, he copied her with his own hat, screwing up his nose at the smell of his own dirty hair and sweat and wished they could somehow move the caravan along faster, so long as he could have the chance to scrub the smell from his hair. 

His eyes snapped open at the sounds of gunshots. He bolted upright to find Hazel had somehow moved to lie across his chest with her head on his shoulder. At the noise and his sudden movements Hazel yelped and rolled away, grabbing Kellogg's pistol from where it lay next to her pack. 

Another gunshot and they both whirled around and were greeted by one of the caravan guards shooting at a ground of raiders as they charged towards where they had camped. 

”Bugger." Hazel hissed, she dropped the pistol and picked up her rifle before scaling up a tree to the first thick branch that wound hold her weight. ”Cover me!" She ordered to MacCready, who obeyed instantly, taking a wild shot at the raider that had had spotted her climbing the tree. 

The raider ducked behind an outcrop of boulders to avoid the shots MacCready was firing. He stopped and peered through the scope on his rifle, lining up his next shot with the raider's head. Just as the raider leaned up over the boulders to take a look at his target, MacCready squeezed the trigger. 

Before he could get a shot off, though, the raider's head exploded in a gory mess. The click and slide of a chamber reloading caught MacCready's attention and he looked up just as the shell of a bullet fell from Hazel's position in the tree, hitting MacCready in the face. Another shot, another she'll and MacCready turned his focus back on the raiders. 

Twenty minutes after the raiders appeared they all lay dead. Hazel swung herself down from the tree and handed MacCready her rifle on her way to approach the bodies. He followed her and took every item she placed in his hands till they were walking back to the camp with a merger supply of RadAway and Stimpaks but overflowing with jet and chems. 

”Well, at least they'll fetch a price." Carla said as she grabbed them from their hands and packed them onto her Brahmin. 

Too tired to argue, Hazel just shambled back to her sleeping bag, following in MacCready's heavily footsteps. She sat down next to him and leaned against his side, falling asleep almost instantly. 

Unsure of what to do MacCready sat rigid for a minute or two before easing himself and Hazel down, using both of their sleeping bags to cover the two of them. He fell asleep moments later. 

 

_______________

 

The caravan moved quicker once morning came, granted it still wasn't as fast as Hazel or MacCready would have liked, but it was faster than a shamble. 

”We're still too far from Sanctuary. I want to be there before the week is out." Hazel explained to everyone when they stopped for a break. She stop in front of them while they all sat on the ground, like a teacher to kinder students. She looked at her Pip-Boy, "At our pace, with our rate of stops, we'll reach Sanctuary in five days."

A few of the guards groaned. 

”But if we cut breaks all together, and take turns resting on the Brahmin, we could be there in two to three days." 

A few more groans, but decidedly less than before. The decision made for her in leu of words Hazel clapped her hands together. One of the Brahmin mooed, both heads moving in tandem. Hazel made a standing motion with her hands, Carla, Norman and all the guards stood. MacCready and the other settler remained sitting. 

”Come on." Hazel said, making the standing motion again. 

MacCready out his hand up, "Can I have first dibs on the Brahmin?" 

Hazel laughed, "Sure. You and Gorge can both have first Brahmin shift." 

MacCready immediately jumped to his feet and ran to the less laden Brahmin.mit took them a few minutes, but they managed to transfer the larger crates to the other two Brahmin to clear enough room for the two men to sit. Once on top of the Brahmin and its cargo MacCready sat with his legs crossed and a grin on his face. 

He cried out and lurched to the side when the Brahmin stood, almost throwing him from his perch. 

Hazel's laugh floated up to him; "Hang on, Mac!"

He took her words to heart and gripped the nearest length of rope so hard his knuckles turned white. He didn't let go till it was his turn to walk, Carla and a caravan guard taking the place of George and himself. 

MacCready took up the rear of the procession while Hazel took the front. The glowing was slow, as the sun set he felt his hackles rise and he voiced his distaste in travelling at night. Hazel debunked his complaint by reminding him that they would be moving much faster if they didn't stop. 

At some point during the night both he and Hazel were perched on the top of the Brahmin, Hazel had tied a length of rope over her thighs, lashing herself to the animal as it moved. MacCready just settled for his white knuckle hold. 

”It's funny." 

MacCready looked at Hazel. She was looking up, her head tilted back to view the stars. Her hair had fallen from her shoulders, cascading down her back in thick golden brown ringlets and exposing the long column of her neck. He managed to force his next words out without sounding strained; "What is?"

”Before the vault, I never really thought about the stars, but now that I'm out, I can't get enough of them. I never want to be trapped underground again." She said. 

MacCready followed her gaze to the sky. The stars were bright tonight, concentrated heavily within the milky, flowing blueness of the Milky Way. One star moved, unlike the others, it cascaded across the sky flashing in and out of existence. 

”Hey! Shooting star!" MacCready exclaimed. 

”No." Hazel corrected, "That's a satellite."

MacCready blinked. A pre-war satellite. He knew some of them were still in use, how else would they get the constant droning of Travis and the same three songs he always played on Dimond City Radio, but he never thought they'd be so easy to see. 

”Did you know man has been to the moon?" Hazel asked, she continued to look at the stars. 

MacCready shook his head, "No." He said once he realised that she wasn't going to look at him. 

”Many people said it was fake, that the moon landing was staged, but despite the conspiracy theories, I'm certain it was real." Hazel explained. ”Humans have accomplished many great things, and what did he do with them?"

”Blow them to all hell?"

Hazel laughed softly, "Yeah. Yeah that's exactly what we did." 

”You still seem very optimistic about the world, though." He observed. 

She shrugged and pulled her gaze from the sky and settled on her hands, her hair fell in front of her face. 

MacCready smiled, he scrubbed his hand over his mouth and chin, trying to obscure his teeth from her sight in case she looked up at him. 

When she didn't move he tapped her on the shoulder. He was graced with her body swaying as the Brahmin climbed over a log. She had fallen asleep. MacCready shook his head and managed to move her so she was leaning against him, with her head resting against his shoulder so she wouldn't get a sore neck when she woke.


	9. She Loves You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If all was well   
> And your heart could find the words  
> Would we be for better  
> Would we be for worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40  
> http://youtu.be/ZwGWRrIlz68  
> http://youtu.be/WHYY-_3Ft84

The giant metal rocket of the Red Rocket truck stop came into view around noon the next day. MacCready was walking beside Hazel at the front of the procession when she cheered and pointed to it. 

”Home run!" She called back over her shoulder. The caravan hardly flinched, though they picked up speed. Hazel took off at a fast jog, causing MacCready to run to keep up. 

As they came up to the truck stop MacCready spied a row of doghouses under the shelter near the fuel pumps. A whistle from Hazel and more than five dogs emerged, Dogmeat among them, and came bounding up to her to greet her, barking and tails wagging. 

MacCready almost laughed. She even hoarded dogs, why was he not surprised? Many of the dogs looked malnourished and fragile. MacCready noticed that she was especially gentle with them when she greeted them, and she didn't move too quickly around the skittish ones. 

MacCready came up beside her; "So....are these your children?" 

Hazel laughed; "Yeah, they certainly are." She turned to MacCready before pointing to a Rottweiler that had a missing ear, "That's Daisy. I bought her off a traveller who couldn't seem to feed her," she pointed to a mongrel breed just beside Daisy, "that's Zack. I found him under a bin in Dimond City, practically dying." Another was Sammy, a small dachshund that Dogmeat had found after they had cleared a raider den, she even had a mutant hound. 

The animal was missing an eye, an ear, and walked with a dangerous limp. It crawled up to MacCready and pressed its wet nose to his hand. MacCready flinched away, startled by its presence. It whimpered and MacCready petted the space between its ears twice with a flat Palm. 

”That's Strong Jr." Hazel laughed, "Don't tell Strong that I've named a dog after him, I don't he'll be very impressed." 

”Why are they all here?" 

”They work as a kind of early warning system. I can hear them barking from Sanctuary, and my guards can see them. They come and go as they please, many of them spend the night in Sanctuary before coming back here to while their day away. Doing what I don't know, but as long as they're safe they're okay." Hazel explained. She walked into the truck stop and dumped her pack on the counter before heaving the heavy lid of a chest freezer open. 

There was no power to the freezer, but that didn't seem to matter. Hazel removed two large lumps of meat, the origins of which MacCready did not, nor did he want to, know, and she threw them into the fray of dogs. They all descended on the meat in the blink of an eye with snarls and growls. 

Within a few moments Hazel was again leading MacCready down the road. When they came to an old bridge with what looked like a massive bite taken out of the side of it, Hazel holstered her rifle and her paced slowed slightly. 

The massive junk gate blocking the settlement from outsider eyes was heavy as she and MacCready shoved it open with their shoulders. A row of three heavy machine gun turrets greeted them and MacCready was surprised when they didn't immediately begin shooting at them. 

Instead Hazel walked up the aisle between them, the turrets puttering away without a care in the world. The street was quiet for only a moment when it was shattered by a shout from someone who must have been watching them enter from the crow's nest tower near the gate. 

Within moments people emerged from pre-war houses and Commonwealth shacks that looked like they would blow over in a light breeze. Minutemen banners and flags flapped in the wind and decorated the shacks, the faint sound of Dimond City Radio floated on the wind, originating from a few radios sitting on workbenches. 

”General." A male voice caught MacCready's attention. 

”Preston." Hazel greeted the man as she passed, clapping him on the shoulder, "Finch Farm is doing well." 

”That's good to hear. Have they thought about our proposition?" Preston asked. He took her pack from her shoulder and gave MacCready a curious glance. Hazel waved her hand in MacCready's direction and Preston took MacCready's pack too, after a small tug-of-war in which Hazel told MacCready it was okay. 

”I really don't think they're going to send their son to us after only just getting him back from that cult." Hazel explained. She removed her cap and ruffled her fingers through her hair with a sigh before replacing it. 

”It would be worth their while." Preston insisted. 

”Give them a chance to reconnect, Preston." Hazel snapped suddenly. She growled and jerked her arms out of her jacket in a huff. She took a breath to calm herself before she looked at Preston again, "Look, I've been on the road for over three months, I've barely gotten anywhere with my own problem, just give me a moment to breathe." 

”Breathing isn't easy, General." 

Hazel didn't grace Preston with a response. Instead she continued to walk up the street, greeting settlers as they came. A few welcomed her home, others had complaints--some complaints MacCready wanted to snap at himself, why they couldn't figure it out themselves was beyond him, but Hazel listened to each one, even if she wasn't paying much attention. 

When they reached the centre of the town MacCready was taken aback by the sight before him. A large shack, the size of a power pylon--or there about--took up pride of place in the dead centre of the settlement, neon lights lit up the doorway and when MacCready poked his head in he noticed the ground floor was a bar, a Mister Handy unit was behind the counter, chatting with settlers cheerfully and reminded MacCready of Charlie back in the Third Rail, only this unit sounded a little more charismatic, as if he was willing to talk more than actually sell drinks. 

MacCready started when Hazel clapped him on the back and poked her head beside his, "Impressive isn't it? Sturges helped me with the construction, or rather he did most of it." She explained. 

”Sturges?" MacCready asked.

”Sturges, big burly guy with black hair, normally seen with a hammer in his hands and a stupidly optimistic view of things." 

”Sounds like someone else I know." 

Hazel laughed and shoves MacCready in the side. ”Come with me." She said and lead him through the centre of the bar to a flight of stairs behind the counter. 

The stairs led up to a hatch in the roof that she pushed open, they were greeted by the Commonwealth air and a railing which Hazel clung to as they walked around the edge of the tower till they came to a ladder. The ladder took them down a hallway to another landing, this one was covered by the room of Marcy Long, a sour woman who had done most of the complaining when Hazel first entered the settlement. 

MacCready leaned over the railing and noticed they were already pretty high up. He could see over the fence spanning the entire perimeter of Sanctuary, and could almost see Concord. Once again Hazel led him up another ladder, and another set of stairs, across a bridge that spanned the gap between two rooms till she finally pushed a door to an empty room open. 

The door creaked slightly to reveal a small room with a mattress, a cabinet, a light bulb that was connected to a power pole that fed the wire down to the massive generators behind the tower on the ground, and a chest to store things in. 

”It's not much, but if you wish to stay you can make it more like home." Hazel said as she pushed him into the room playfully. 

MacCready walked to the window and whistled. From this vantage point he could now see over the top of Concord, the entire settlement, and plenty of the woods around Sanctuary. ”This is fantastic!" MacCready exclaimed. ”I could pick of anyone who came too close!"

Hazel laughed, "Yeah well please don't unless told otherwise." 

MacCready only snorted, "Don't worry, boss. I won't shoot any of your shambling traders."

”Good, otherwise you'll have no caps left." Hazel winked at him before she turned away, leaving back the way they came. MacCready heard a door open and close further down the hall before he turned back to the room he had been given. 

Deciding to make the most of the room he shrugged off his duster and scarf and folded them into the chest near the door. Any ammo he had in his pockets went into the cabinet, along with a 10mm pistol he had picked up and his ammo belt and binoculars. 

He kept his rifle with him as he descended the tower, greeting settlers as they passed, he exited the tower and began to explore the settlement. He passed between the tower and a prewar house with yellow paint. Strewn around that house were several workbenches, and a rundown power armour station. 

Rows of corn and tato plants flanked the path till it opened to a large crop of mutfruit trees, under which grew a collection of melon and gurd vines. The crops were tended to by several settlers who either stopped to greet him, or simply acknowledged his presence with a nod. 

Past the crops two guard towers were built into the perimeter fence, between them the fence merged from wood to wire and flanked a large, industrial water pump that was surrounded by a small bridge. It chugged away relentlessly, pumping water from the river up to a massive metal tank on the shore. 

It wasn't the only water pump in the settlement. MacCready spied another further down the river, this one was smaller and seemed to be struggling with its workload. A line of manual pumps marched back up the hill towards the metal swing set, a man with a solemn expression was currently pumping the lever, hard, to fill a bucket of water at his feet. Brahmin mooed wherever they roamed, having no fence other than the one that spanned the settlement, they were free to wander anywhere they pleased. 

MacCready was impressed by the sheer size of Sanctuary. It was easily as big as Dimond City, maybe even Goodneighbor, and was filled with people who were obviously at ease. Children even roamed the street and MacCready suddenly found himself wondering if Duncan would like it here. 

Duncan. MacCready's mood instantly turned and he shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked at the dirt as he walked. It had been at least four months since he'd seen his son. He was so weak when MacCready left, could barely even open his eyes to see him leave. Maybe that was a good thing, maybe if he died Duncan would not know that his dad had left him in the hands of people Duncan barely knew but MacCready trusted with his life. 

”Why the long face?" A voice jerked MacCready out of his thoughts and he looked up. 

Piper Wright. Publik Occurances journalist. MacCready had run into her countless times in Dimond City, and even Goodneighbor when she'd come round snooping for stories and conspiracies against Mayor McDonough. 

”Piper." MacCready didn't mean to sound nonplussed, quite the contrary, he was happy to see her, but he was not in the mood for her questions. 

”I ask again, MacCready, why the long face?" She probed 

”According to you my face never changes." MacCready countered. 

”Oh MacCready, a face like yours will never know the joy being able to smile." 

MacCready only snorted, shaking his head. ”Why are you here, Piper?"

Piper pointed over her shoulder to where Hazel could be seen talking with a ghoul, they exchanged items before Hazel petted the settler on their shoulder and she wandered off, "Blue brought me here, said I would be able to find good stories for the paper. I come and go as I please with the caravans." 

Hazel's caravans must be as reliable as Daisy's, MacCready found himself wondering if maybe she had connections to people _outside_ the Commonwealth. 

”Anyway," Piper's voice caught MacCready's attention, "With the arrival of Blue, comes the drinking."

”Drinking?" 

”You'll see tonight." Piper said before she turned from him and headed towards a collection of thin shacks that MacCready could not mistaken for anything other than latrines. He screwed his nose up for a moment before he turned away and head back into the main part of the settlement. 

MacCready spent the rest of the day wandering the settlement, he walked inside the prewar houses, and into various shacks. He found the food storage and stole a few strips of Deathclaw jerky to chew while he walked, a smaller, less impressive tower occupied a plot closest to the gate of Sanctuary, he learnt that many of the caravan guards slept there along with traders before they packed up and headed back out. 

Brahmin feed troughs sat in a cleared area between two houses, a siren near the aisle of turrets, and so many guard towers MacCready would think they were paranoid. Though this far from the nearest town MacCready had to wonder how they weren't constantly getting attacked. 

Just as the sun began to set MacCready found himself wandering into the bar on the ground floor of the tower. The area was full to the point of bursting with settlers, many were simply sitting and enjoying the company of others. Some were drinking alone, but the thing that caught MacCready's attention was Hazel. 

She had obviously had a few drinks already and was decidedly drunk enough to engage in something akin to dancing, yet any sober person would not willingly take part in it. She swayed and jumped and hollered whenever she could, dancing to the music emitting from the jukebox in the corner, next to which stood Hancock. 

MacCready was surprised to find him so far out of Goodneighbor. He walked over to greet him with a warm smile and a wise ass joke. 

”So, I heard that you had found an employer. Would never have dreamed it was Moore here." Hancock commended, mouth full of Mentats. 

”I never would have thought you'd willingly leave Fahrenheit's side, Hancock." 

Hancock wheezed a laugh; "You got me there." He removed a cigarette from its carton and placed it between his teeth, offering the packet to MacCready who gratefully took one and waited his turn for the lighter. 

”She's a sight ain't she?" Hancock jerked his head at Hazel after he had taken a long drag from his cigarette. 

MacCready couldn't help but agree. Whether or not Hancock was referring to Hazel's performance as a drunken dancer or her appearance and 'finesse' in general MacCready did not know, but he agreed to both. 

Suddenly Hazel's dancing took a different turn. No longer just simply enjoying herself, she began to remove her clothes starting with her gloves. She dropped them on the floor where she swayed before unbuckling her ammo belt from around her chest and dropping it with a loud think on the wooden floor. 

She spun in a circle before she caught sight of MacCready and smiled. She approached him and grabbed his hands, making his heart jump with nerves. He could not predict what she was about to do, and it worried him. 

He was concerned she was about to pull him into some form of a strip tease in front of everyone, and he fought to keep the blush from reaching his cheeks, if she knew how often he was beginning to think of her like that she would probably run for the hills. Instead, Hazel surprised him; she wrapped his arms around her waist and placed her's around his. 

She swayed with him to the rhythm of a slower song that had begun to play and she watched him. He looked down at her--wait a minute _down _?, he looked down at their feet and noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes. Without her shoes she was a full inch shorter than he was, that thought escaped him as quickly as it came when Hazel hummed contentedly.__

__She was blinking slowly at him and MacCready could smell the liquor on her breath, but she did not let him go, even when he loosened his grip to try and give her a hint of his intentions. Instead she seemed to tighten her grip and bring him closer._ _

__MacCready brought one hand up to cup her cheek, was he leaning closer to her or was it the other way around? Were they even moving anymore? MacCready didn't care, he wasn't paying attention to anything other than the fact that Hazel was coming closer, eyes closing as their lips neared._ _

__Just as MacCready's lips began to close the distance between them, they stopped. MacCready could practically feel her lips on his, less than a hair's breadth away from each other and _begging_ to get closer. _ _

__That's when Hazel spoke, "Wait."_ _

__It was quiet, a whisper so silent that if MacCready wasn't watching her lips he would have missed it. He froze and when she didn't pull away he flicked his eyes up to hers. Her eyes were screwed shut before she slowly opened them._ _

__Green eyes met blue and Hazel tried to come up with some explanation for her behaviour, but there was none other than the fact she was drunk, but that had never been an issue before, with Nate if she got drunk enough to suddenly want to kiss someone she was always able to refrain, remind herself that she was married and than it was wrong to kiss someone else when she was still married._ _

__Was she still married now? She still wore her ring, but Nate's sat around her neck on a thick shoelace under her clothes. Would Nate he upset with her? How long had she been battling with the feelings she was developing for MacCready? All questions she did not have an answer to._ _

__MacCready, blessedly, pulled away. She immediately wished she had taken the dive and kissed him, but knew that if he didn't want it she was not going to push it. She loosened her grip on him and he stepped out of her embrace._ _

__”Come on, boss, let's get you to bed." He said before taking her arm and leading her to the stairs behind the bar._ _

__They shuffled up the ladders, MacCready following Hazel's vague directions as they walked in silence. They reached the third floor of the tower, one floor below the room in which MacCready would be staying, and Hazel pulled herself from his grasp and leaned against a door._ _

__”You remind me of him, sometimes." She mumbled._ _

__”Of who?" MacCready asked._ _

__”Nate. You remind me of Nate." Hazel explained before she left MacCready standing at the door. It was true, MacCready was kind, much like Nate, and despite his best efforts he was always putting Hazel first, whether that was because she had been paying him, or simply because it was how he was taught, she appreciated it._ _

__But MacCready reminding her of Nate was beginning to become a problem. Hazel was letting her guard down, becoming comfortable with MacCready's presence at her side, not that she was complaining, but sooner or later she was going to make a mistake, cross a line she did not want to._ _

__She was going to hurt herself, and in the process; him._ _

__

__Morning brought the Brotherhood to Sanctuary. The rumbling of the vertibird was the only warning of their arrival before MacCready found himself hiding in one of the prewar houses, not wanting to get involved with the Brotherhood unless absolutely necessary. He'd had his fair share of run ins with Paladins, most of them unfriendly._ _

__Just as expected, once the vertibird had landed a man jumped out, armed to the teeth in power armour and laser pistols. He rumbled up the street, hollering for Knight Hazel._ _

__Hazel appeared from the direction of the smaller water purifier, her hair pulled back, her jacket tied around her waist and the bottom half of her pants soaking._ _

__”Paladin" she greeted._ _

__”You've neglected your duties, Knight." Was all the Paladin said._ _

__”I was unaware of any missions I was to complete, Danse." Hazel bristled._ _

__”I'm only here to inform you that Elder Maxson seeks an audience with you, and you'd do best to report to the Prydwen quickly."_ _

__Hazel was silent for a moment. She looked away from Danse and to the rest of the settlers who had gathered behind her to watch the exchange, MacCready remained in the doorway of his chosen hiding place. Finally Hazel spoke; "Fine, just let me complete things here and I'll see you at the Prydwen."_ _

__”I will wait till night fall, then you will come with me on the vertibird." Danse explained._ _

__Hazel huffed an annoyed sigh. ”Fine." She turned away from Danse, who in turn headed back towards the vertibird as its engines were switched off and a loud whirring noise filled the settlement as it cooled down. Two more Brotherhood members emerged from the machine, a pilot and what looked to be a scribe. They spoke to Danse in quiet voices, the scribe glared at a young ghoul with such obvious disgust it made MacCready's blood boil._ _

__Deciding it probably wasn't the best idea to start a fist fight with a Brotherhood scribe he tailed after Hazel as she swiftly walked back to the water purifier. The smaller contraption had been switched off and disconnected from its generator, the fuse box lid was flipped open and a bag of parts hung on a hook to keep them from falling into the water below it._ _

__Hazel waded back into the water, splashing a little more forcefully than needed. She picked up a pair of pliers and a yellow wire and turned to the fuse box. MacCready stood on the shore with his hands in his pockets._ _

__After a tense silence she spoke; "What do you want MacCready?"_ _

__”You're a Brotherhood Knight."_ _

__”Mmhmm."_ _

__”You don't seem happy about it." MacCready observed._ _

__”I'm not."_ _

__”And that's because...?"_ _

__”The Brotherhood of Steel are nothing but a twisted organisation hell bent on starting a war in the Commonwealth. They say they're trying to crack the Institute, but in the process they're killing raiders and civilians with no thought to the repercussions that can cause."_ _

__”We kill raiders." MacCready pointed out._ _

__Hazel stopped working on the pump and titled her head back with a sigh; "Yes we do, but only ones that have proven to have heads bigger than their shoulders, and need to be shown their place. The Commonwealth doesn't have to be run by fear, people can live how they please so long as they understand that peaceful people want to live their lives to the fullest._ _

__"I've seen what war does to people. It's not pretty, Nate was constantly riddled with nightmares to the point we could no longer share a bed unless he got help. It took me close to three months to finally convince him to at least see a shrink to ask questions, but those wars were possibly more dangerous than what could come to pass here, but I don't doubt that it will hurt people on both sides."_ _

__”Then why are you a part of the Brotherhood?"_ _

__”Did you see Danse's power armour?" MacCready nodded; "I needed a set in order to go into the Glowing Sea. I had a hunch that I would need to go there sooner or later, I thought that's where the Institute would be, seems the most logical explanation, but now I need it to find Virgil. Not to mention all the tech the Brotherhood keep finding is leading them closer and closer to the Institute, if I could just get my hands on their Intel, I'll be leaps and bounds closer to finding Shaun."_ _

__MacCready's eyebrows rose with surprise. He admired her planning, and her downright dirty behaviour to go behind the Brotherhood's back. She was determined, willing to do anything, even betray an army, to get what she wanted. If it went wrong, she'd be publicly executed, probably after intense torture, but if she succeeded, she'd be in the Institute and shed bring her son home._ _

__He opened his mouth to speak when Hazel turned to him, "Look, MacCready, about last night." Her voice was soft, almost like she was frightened of what she was about to say._ _

__For a moment MacCready was confused till he remembered the fact that they had almost kissed and he had to help her back to her room. He was beginning to think that just maybe she had trouble holding her liquor._ _

__”No, boss, there's nothing to talk about." He lied. There was a lot to talk about, she was clearly sober enough to know what she was doing, evident by her sudden change of mind. In truth, he didn't want to talk about it. That simple act of _almost_ kissing made his heart race faster than it had in a long time. The last person to do that to him was Lucy, and he was frightened that if he allowed Hazel to get close to him, she'd end up the same way. _ _

__”We need to talk about it, otherwise it'll become something awful between us." Hazel pressed on. She wiped her hands on a scrap of rag already covered with grease and oil._ _

__She was right, of course. She was always right._ _

__MacCready shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. When she didn't say anything to begin MacCready snorted with laughter, "Why don't we just continue what we started? That should clear the air." He felt stupid for saying it, but he wanted it. Despite his fears, if he could have at least one kiss with Hazel he would be happy. Just one._ _

__”Does that really work?" Hazel asked sceptically._ _

__”Why don't you come here and find out?"_ _

__”Alright then." Hazel wadded out of the water and stood level with MacCready. He swallowed nervously, maybe this wasn't such a good idea, but he couldn't say anything as Hazel reached up and removed his cap, holding in her hands so she had something to cling to. MacCready was not so lucky, so he looped one thumb under the band of his ammo belt, and the other held the strap of his rifle where it lay across his back._ _

__They were silent as they slowly leaned towards each other, breathing hard and hitching with nerves. Why was he nervous. He shouldn't be nervous, it was just a kiss. But he knew to him it was something more. Maybe he was finally learning to let Lucy go, maybe he'd finally be able to feel happy again, maybe--_ _

__He didn't get to think of anything else as Hazel's lips pressed gently to his. He froze, surprised by their softness, before he let go of his ammo belt to cup her cheek, eyes sliding closed. They were slow to respond to each other, but with gentle touches and slight movements, they began to kiss harder with more intent._ _

__MacCready moved the hand that cupped Hazel's cheek to the back of her neck, tilting her head to the side and back slightly to gain a better angle. Hazel let go of a breathy sigh into his mouth and one hand let go of his hat to grip the front of his duster tightly, anchoring him to her._ _

__MacCready felt her tongue trace his lips and, spurred on by her daringness, opened his mouth to grant her entry. He could taste the Brahmin stew they ate that morning on her tongue, as well as a hint of beer. He wanted more._ _

__Before he could make another move she pulled away, eyes remaining closed and breathing a little shallow. As MacCready slid his eyes open he caught the slightest smile ghost across Hazel's lips and he bent down to kiss her again._ _

__This was a bad idea, but this time he wanted the consequences._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a really long chapter. Like 10 pages almost, but they've finally kissed! 
> 
> As always comments and kudos are greatly appreciated :)


	10. A Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fort Strong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40  
> http://youtu.be/ZwGWRrIlz68  
> http://youtu.be/WHYY-_3Ft84  
> http://youtu.be/fOZUKppndaE

Hazel moved slowly as she packed her supplies carefully in her pack. She moved methodically, not really thinking about _what_ she was packing, but _who_ was coming with her to the Prydwen. 

Purified water, vegetable starch, shoelaces, 44 caliber ammo, a few Grognak comics, was it really a good idea to kiss MacCready? She _knew_ he was only joking when he suggested they actually kiss, but she wasn't joking when she climbed out of the water and pressed her lips against his. 

She had decided that Nate was gone. He wasn't coming back, his body still lay in the vault, slumped against the chamber with a bullet in his temple. It would be selfish of him to think that she was not move on, that she would forever remain widowed. Of course she still loved him, she would never stop loving him, and she would always remember him as her friend, boyfriend and husband. 

But the Commonwealth was a demanding place, and damn it Hazel wanted to be selfish. She _wanted_ to love again, to be loved by someone else, so when she pulled away from MacCready, unable to open her eyes, she savoured the feel of his lips on hers, of the taste of his mouth. 

Then he leaned forward and kissed her again, playfully this time, pulling her close by wrapping his arms around her and smushing their noses together, making her giggle and subsequently making MacCready laugh. 

They didn't get a chance to actually talk about what was happening as MacCready almost jumped out of his skin as a Super Mutant approached them. 

”Brother man wants Hazel human to come." Strong grunted, pointing at Hazel. 

Hazel smiled, thanked Strong for the notice and detangled herself from MacCready telling him to get ready to leave. 

That was the last time she had seen him today. Warm socks, night vision goggles, sweater, box of bobby pins, a spare pistol, frag mines, she moved to her vault-tec lunchbox and opened it. 

Med-X, RadAway, Rad-X, Stimpaks, rubbing alcohol, needle and thread, she closed the lunchbox and wrapped it in a pair of long pants, placing it in her pack. She then packed a few holotapes that she had found, music from before the war, and the Red Menace tape. She tied her pack closed and attached her string of grenades to the outside of it before she swung her pack onto her shoulders and picked up her rifle. 

She swallowed loudly as she exited the tower, hoping to run into MacCready during her descent, but also hoping she didn't. She was slightly disappointed and relieved when she walked through the bar to the main streets of Sanctuary and did not run into MacCready. 

Instead he was waiting for her near the vertibird, pack secure, rifle held loosely in his hand with the barrel pointed towards the ground. His familiar clothes had been returned to him, washed and dried, and his hat obscured his eyes from her view. 

Danse stood beside him, power armour gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight. He greeted her with a happy nod and pleasant conversation before he climbed onto the vertibird. MacCready greeted her with a close-lipped smile and a nod. 

They both climbed onto the vertibird and took their seats, holding onto whatever they could. As the engines started up and the vertibird lurched off the ground Hazel grit her teeth and called over the sound of the engines; "DON'T THESE THINGS COME WITH SEATBELTS?"

”LIVE A LITTLE BOSS!" MacCready called back, but his rebuttal was contradicted by his obvious fright as his knuckles turned white and he clung to the handles with renewed vigour. 

Danse laughed when he saw MacCready. The Paladin wasn't holding onto anything but his T-60 helmet, leaning with the momentum of the vertibird as it turned to swing in a wide arch around Sanctuary before heading towards Boston Airport. 

Hazel relaxed her tight grip on the roof handles of the vertibird cabin and she leaned to the side slightly so she could watch the ground pass below them. The Starlight Drive-In passed beneath them and several settlers stopped and waved, happy to see the vertibird flying overhead. Hazel felt her stomach clench. Those people firmly believed that the Brotherhood had their best intentions at heart, when in reality the war they could start would put them on the back foot, a massive struggle in which no one would survive. 

”WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT, BOSS?" MacCready called over the sound of the wind. 

”ABOUT HOW I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS AT CHESS TONIGHT!" She lied. 

MacCready looked at her quizzically; "WHAT?" 

Hazel rolled her eyes while shaking her head and made a dismissing motion with her hand. 

The ride was silent till the vertibird docked at the Prydwen. Danse was first off, followed by Hazel, then MacCready. Hazel watched as MacCready looked around, looking out across the water to the shore. He scanned the ground with awe. 

He jumped when Hazel taped him on the shoulder. She smiled and motioned with her hand for him to follow. 

Inside the Prydwen Hazel led MacCready through to where Elder Maxson stood. Already a group of Brotherhood soldiers stood to attention, ready to hear whatever briefing Maxson was about to give. 

”Wait here." Hazel asked MacCready, pointing to the wall just outside the room as she entered. 

MacCready huffed in annoyance and went to lean against the wall with his legs crossed and his shoulders against the wall. He watched Hazel as she walked into the room, and continued to watch the doorway. He could hear Maxson talking, but he tuned it out. Instead MacCready thought about kissing Hazel. 

He hated to admit that after they had kissed he almost skipped around Sanctuary. Piper cornered him at one point, asking about his sudden change of mood, but he only graced her with a shrug. It was Hancock he confessed to. 

The ghoul only laughed and clapped him on the back, offering him a swig from his bottle of whiskey which MacCready gladly took. 

”You sure you know what you're doing?" Hancock had asked after a silence filled with passing the whiskey back and fourth. 

MacCready shrugged; "Not really."

”Not good enough, MacCready." Hancock said, "You gotta be careful, don't want you or Moore gettin' hurt." 

MacCready nodded. 

”Mac?" Hazel's voice snapped him back to the present. He looked up from the flor and into her eyes. He couldn't help but notice that her eyes had flecks of gold through the green, cobwebbed irises that caught the fluorescent lights inside the Prydwen. He felt his cheeks warm and he cleared his throat. 

”Yeah?"

”I'm going to be storming Fort Strong tomorrow morning. You'll be staying here on the Prydwen." 

MacCready felt disappointment pool in his belly but he shook it off. He nodded, "What do we do in the mean time?"

”I guess we see what living on the Prydwen is like." Hazel responded. 

”You've never stayed for any period of time?"

Hazel shook her head, screwing up her nose. She made a "come here" motion with her hand and led him up a ladder to the main deck of the Prydwen, "Never had a reason. I've done a few recon missions with them, but they're never long enough to warrant me staying overnight." 

MacCready followed her down a hall to a smaller room packed with soldiers sitting at tables eating their rations. Hazel mode passed the kitchens and grabbed two bowls of grey slop, giving one to MacCready they found a clear table and sat down opposite each other. 

MacCready stared down at his bowl, he prodded it with his spoon and screwed up his nose. ”You know, I think I prefer your vegetable starch stew." 

Hazel snorted, "So do I actually." 

They laughed and tried to swallow the pasty-tasting food. Once finished, or there abouts, Hazel took their bowls back and led MacCready through to the barracks. It was nearing lights out, Knights were preparing for bed. Hazel opened the metal crate at the end of her cot and threw her pack in, motioning for MacCready to do the same. 

Unfortunately MacCready was directed to the guest quarters of the barracks, under the grounds of 'safety' for their Knights. He lay on his back in the small cot, the single solitary occupant of the room. He did not know when he fell asleep. 

 

The assault on Fort Strong began before the sun rose. MacCready was shaken awake by Hazel, she was dressed not in her familiar boots, jeans, white shirt and leather jacket, but in a thin orange and grey jumpsuit. The Brotherhood of Steel uniform accented the flare of her hips and chest, it bulged with her stomach and cinched at her neck. MacCready swallowed with unease and rolled out of the cot in the opposite direction of Hazel. 

”Here." She gave him a similar uniform, only this one was not so thin and it left room for him to wear his boots under the legs. 

Once he was dressed he found his way to the mess hall, many scribes sat with their faces almost in their plates of food, Initiates werent much better. What MacCready couldn't see were many, if any, Knights. 

When Hazel emerged from a room further in the Prydwen he asked her why. 

”Knights get more freedom with their time. Kind of a reward for getting so far with the Brotherhood. They can sleep in if they don't have an assignment." She added the last part with a bit of distain and judging from her slow movements MacCready knew she wanted to sleep for a bit longer. 

She shook herself, straightening up; "Anyway. Danse is waiting for you on the flight deck outside. Grab our packs because after this is done we're heading to the Castle." 

MacCready nodded. It felt good...safe, to be following orders again, almost as if nothing had happened between them, but he knew that was different. Hazel's behaviour towards him was different, she walked closer to him, looked out for him more, almost as if _he_ was the one who hired _her_. 

As he dressed he wondered what Hazel thought about their situation. He knew he held her in high esteem and enjoyed her company, but did she enjoy his? Was she only bringing him with her everywhere because she felt she was obligated? 

MacCready didn't get much longer to think about it, he was dressed, and he carried his usual clothes to Hazel's cot in the Knight's barracks and folding them into his pack. Carrying both bags he met Danse out on the flight deck. The wind howled aggressively around the Prydwen, its engines adding to the noise as they worked to keep it afloat. MacCready squinted against the wind and saw far on the horizon, coming from the direction of the Glowing Sea, was a massive bank of clouds. They were enormous and tinged a sickly green that was exaggerated by the light of the steadily rising sun. 

He hoped they could get this over and done with quickly. 

A few moments later two more Knights in power armour caught up to them on the bridge. One reached up and removed their helmet and MacCready blinked in surprise. Hazel beamed down at him from her vantage in the suit. 

_Jackpot!_ She mouthed to him before turning to Danse. They nodded to each other before Hazel replaced her helmet and held her arm out to MacCready. He looked at it with a quirked eyebrow before she shook her arm at him again. He wrapped both his arms around the gauntlet of her power armour and Hazel lifted him onto the vertibird. 

He squealed as his body swung out over the gap between the Prydwen and the vertibird assigned to their transport, he clung to her arm tightly, his legs pinwheeling before he was set down on the floor of the vertibird. He fell onto his backside with a short 'oof'. 

Hazel climbed into the vertibird next to him, laughing as she held to the roof handles and manoeuvred herself to sit behind one of the miniguns mounted on the vertibird. MacCready swallowed, he knew he was going into this blind and he did not like the feeling that settled in his stomach. 

As the vertibird took off and began its short trip to Fort Strong, MacCready sat near Hazel's legs, practically between them to anchor himself to the moving transport when it suddenly lurched to the side.

”Affirmative!" He heard Hazel call through her helmet and the pilot tilted the vertibird to the side a little more, revealing the biggest super mutant MacCready had ever seen in his life. 

The thing was bigger than every building around it, and brandished a massive bludgeoning tool made from what looked like a prewar hedge trimmer and several swaggers. Or baseball bats as Hazel referred to them. 

”Mac, help Danse take down the muties." Hazel ordered before opening fire on the massive creature. 

It bellowed in rage and brandished it weapons furiously at the circling vertibird. The mutants all joined the behemoth's hollering and they began shooting at the vertibird and it's occupants. Danse was arming the second minigun, leaving MacCready with nothing but his faithful sniper. 

He hooked his feet behind Hazel's armoured boots and lay on his stomach with his shoulders almost hanging off the vertibird, using Hazel and her minigun support to avoid falling to his death. He cocked his rifle, aimed, and shot a mutant in the head. It bellowed in rage and pain as it went down before lying still. MacCready grinned wolfishly and repeated his actions, taking down any mutant Danse didn't already have a bead on, all the while Hazel relentlessly fired at the behemoth. 

When all the mutants were dead and the behemoth was more ripped flesh than actual creature, Danse and MacCready focused their weapons on the monster, helping Hazel deliver the final bullets. They landed when the thing hit the ground, blood pooling and spreading over the cracked concrete. 

Hazel and Danse jumped from the vertibird, followed by MacCready. All three refused to lower their weapons. Hazel, not being able to take the vertibird minigun with her, carried her sniper rifle. It was becoming a common sight to MacCready. He would worry if she didn't not have it. 

They walked together towards the body of the behemoth. Hazel nudged it with the toe of her boot. ”Hmm. Doesn't look like they'll be much on it." 

”Damn. Useless waste of time them." MacCready commented. He smiled when he heard Hazel's laugh. 

”Now is not the time for games." Danse reminded them, leading them towards the armoury. 

 

The armoury was cleared in roughly an hour. During that time Hazel had begun to complain about low Fusion Core power, sounding more distressed than she ought to be when MacCready remembered that she was planning on using the suit to travel through the Glowing Sea, and she did not know how many cores she would need. 

They stood back in the clearing in which they had been dropped off, waiting for their transport to arrive. Hazel had elected Danse be prime informant, forcing him to report back to Maxson. Once the vertibird arrived Hazel demanded they be taken to the Castle instead of the Prydwen. 

MacCready now stood next to the door to the armoury, watching as two settlers worked at the scav stations Hazel had set up, they pulled apart all the junk Hazel constantly brought in and sorted it into useful piles, and useless crap. 

Hazel emerged from the armoury sans power armour and stood next to him, looking at him with pursed lips and a sigh. 

”Everything okay, boss?" 

Hazel shrugged; "Yeah I guess so."

”The lack of cores getting to you?"

She nodded. 

They were silent for a time before MacCready cleared his throat; "Hey, I uh, never really did thank you properly for helping me out with Winlock and Barnes."

Hazel titled her head and looked at him curiously, "There's no thank necessary. We're friends, it's what we do." 

MacCready smiled and titled his head down, "Yeah, but you stuck your neck out for me. You could has died back on that interchange, I owe you my life. I don't forget shi--ugh...um...stuff like that." MacCready berated himself for the slip-up. That was happening a lot lately, he needed to watch what he said more. 

”Y'know, you should try cursing once in a while. It's good for the soul." Hazel teased. 

MacCready snorted, "I was wondering when you were going to pick up on that. It's not that I'm trying to maintain your...innocence," Hazel laughed, making MacCready laugh too and he had trouble finishing the rest of his sentence. 

”No, no, it's about a promise I made. When I left the Capitol Wasteland I didn't just leave Little Lamplight, I left my family." 

Hazel went silent. 

”I had a beautiful wife named Lucy. We had a son D...Duncan," MacCready's voice cracked on his son's name and he cleared his throat again in an attempt to stop the tears he felt prickling behind his nose, "I promised him I'd clean up my act and be a better person. That sounds pretty stupid coming from a guy who's only known as being a damn efficient merc."

”Don't flatter yourself." Hazel teased, she continued before MacCready could respond, "So...you just left them?"

MacCready was silent for a moment. He looked around at all the settlers milling about, going about their business. It was still to exposed for him so he took Hazel's hand and lead her into the barracks and to the old General's quarters. Hazel didn't use this room for herself like he anticipated. Instead she shared the quarters with the settlers, using this room as a storage room. 

MacCready closed the door behind them and turned to Hazel; "My son...h-he's sick. He seemed fine one day, but the next he wasn't. He was out playing in the fields behind our house while I worked, after a while he came up to me and complained about not feeling well. I was used to it by now, he doesn't have that strong of an immune system, but this fever was unlike anything I've ever seen before, and the next day these blue boils popped up all over his body. They're painful, and they smell like decay. 

"Last I saw he was almost too weak to walk. I honestly don't know how much longer he's got left."

”There must be something we can do. I want to help, Mac." Hazel pressed.

MacCready visibly relaxed; "I...I was hoping you'd say that. A few months before we met, before I even left the Wasteland, I bumped into this guy named Sinclair, or rather he knocked on my door, but he mentioned his buddy caught some weird disease. I was going to shut the door on him when he mentioned his buddy broke out in blue boils, and that they tracked a cure to Med-Tek Research. They even managed to grab the security codes!" 

He paused and looked at Hazel. She was watching him with interest, leaning forward as he continued, almost to the point she looked like she was about to topple over. 

”That can't be a coincidence right? The cure _has_ to be in Med-Tek."

”Did Sinclair ever get it?"

MacCready shook his head, "No. Sinclair's buddy died before they could form a good enough plan to get the cure. I can't let that happen to Duncan. Not...not after Lucy." 

Hazel cocked her head to the side, she knew Lucy was no longer alive judging from the way he spoke about her. She wanted to know more, wanted to know how she died, and how long ago it was. But the sounds of it MacCready has been on his own with only Duncan for company for a long time, and for a selfish moment Hazel thought of herself, wandering the Commonwealth widowed, with her son nowhere to be found. 

What would MacCready do if someone stole Duncan. Would he fight to get his son back? Or would he roll over and lick his infected wounds, only making them worse till they festered. 

”What happened to Lucy?" Hazel found herself asking. 

MacCready shook his head, "no. Not now. I...I don't want to talk about it now." 

Hazel only nodded. She looked at the map on her Pip-Boy. ”I've passed Med-Tek myself several times, it's back to the north. At least a three day walk." 

MacCready's head shot up, "We're going now!?" 

Hazel shook her head, "No, we're leaving at midnight." 

”You're going to help me?"

Hazel nodded. ”Of course." 

MacCready couldn't stop himself from smiling and that's when he noticed he was still holding Hazel's hand. He looked down at their entwined fingers, he should let go but he couldn't bring himself to. Not yet. Just a little longer. 

Hazel must have been thinking the same thing because she wasn't loosening her grip either, in fact he thought he felt her squeeze his fingers slightly and it made the tips of his ears grow warm. 

Suddenly Hazel spoke, "Fuck it." It was quiet and breathy, like she didn't want anyone to hear it, before she pulled him into a heated kiss. MacCready smiled against her mouth and cupped both of her cheeks in his hands. He felt Hazel card her fingers through his hair, dislodging his hat and letting it fall to the ground. 

MacCready angled his head for better purchase and traced Hazel's bottom lip with his tongue before nibbling on the plump flesh. A breathy moan escaped Hazel and sent jolts of excitement down MacCready's spine. He dragged his mouth away from her lips and began kissing and sucking her neck. 

Hazel yielded more of her neck to him before suddenly shaking her head "M-Mac, no."

MacCready pulled away from her, breathing hard. His eyes were shut tight, and he held onto her waist. Hazel pressed for forehead to his and he opened his eyes. Hazel was watching him carefully, he pressed another chaste kiss to her lips. And another. 

When Hazel made to move away he followed her, "Just...just one more." She obliged him with a smaller kiss. 

“G-get some rest." Hazel spoke breathlessly when he pulled away, but kept her within the circle of his arms. ”We've got a long road ahead of us."


	11. You Are The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”Waddya doin', boss?" MacCready asked groggily, still mostly asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40  
> http://youtu.be/ZwGWRrIlz68  
> http://youtu.be/WHYY-_3Ft84  
> http://youtu.be/fOZUKppndaE  
> http://youtu.be/TpUP0jjicqY

Their immediate plans were hindered by the arrival of the radiation storm MacCready had spotted earlier. The clouds, previously stationary, blew in with vigour. The wind whipped around the Castle, kicking up sand and small rocks, minutemen and settlers alike took shelter inside the Castle's walls and waited for the storm to pass. 

Everyone was in the mess hall, sitting on the chairs or on the floor. Some had even brought their sleeping bags from the barracks and were curled up in the corner. If there was one good side to radstorms, it would be the certainty that no one was going to be attacked till it blew over. 

Hazel took the opportunity to remove the twin chessboards she had picked up almost a week ago and create makeshift pieces out of nails and different caliber bullets. She sat on a table with her legs crossed as she umpired the two games of chess progressing on either side of her.

MacCready sat in a chair against the wall, leaning back so it stood on the back two legs. He had his arms crossed, his legs hooked around the two chair legs suspended in the air, his rifle across his lap, and his hat pulled down over his face. Hazel was unsure if he was truly asleep or if he was just napping. 

As Hazel watched the chess games she suddenly found herself wishing that a piano, even a badly damaged one, had survived the war. She would give anything to play the instrument again. She began tapping pieces she knew off by heart against her leg, another way to pass the time. 

MacCready snored at one point, making her snort with laughter. Eventually she grew drowsy and climbed off the table to walk to the area everyone was sleeping in. She didn't bother fetching a sleeping bag, just curled up on the floor and fell asleep. 

She woke again once the storm blew over and MacCready shook her shoulder. She peaked open one eye and looked around hazily, she paused when MacCready's face came into view. 

”Hey there." He spoke gently, voice quiet and tired like he had only woken up a few moments ago. 

Hazel grunted in response and closed her eye again before stretching and releasing a heavy sigh. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The mess hall was less full than before, the chess boards and bullets left in a neat stack in the centre of the table. The only ones left in the mess hall were MacCready, an artillery guard who was asleep beside her, a couple of kids who were sneaking around playing a silent game of pretend, and herself. 

”What's going on?" She asked. 

”Storm's gone. Passed over us a few moments ago, it's raining pretty heavily now." MacCready explained. 

Hazel made a face of displeasure before holding her hands out. MacCready gripped her wrists and hauled her to her feet. 

”Okay." She began, dusting herself off and checking her Pip-Boy. ”Hmm. Should have taken some Rad-X before that storm. Anyway, we've got a long way to go. Let's starting getting ready and we'll head out as soon as we're done." 

”But it's raining, boss." MacCready complained. 

Hazel paused at the door, "What, scared of a little rain, MacCready?"

MacCready felt the tips of his ears redden, "No. I just don't like getting wet. Makes your clothes stick to you, Y'know?"

”Sorry, Mac, but we've got to get moving as soon as possible." 

”Yeah I know." MacCready said, "I really appreciate you doing this." 

Hazel shrugged, "Don't mention it."

Turns out it didn't rain for as long as MacCready thought it would. They had been walking for only twenty minutes when the rain came to an abrupt halt, unfortunately it was now well passed sunset. Hazel walked with her rifle at the ready and her night vision goggles on. 

MacCready had kept his from their attack at the Mass Pike Interchange and now had them securely covering his eyes. It was almost surreal looking through them, having never really used them at length before. 

They walked in absolute silence till they were well and truly clear of the areas around Quincy. Their first stop was Dimond City where Hazel needed to drop off the crap in her pack. MacCready honestly didn't think that any of the traders would want what she carried, even that strangely optimistic Mister Handy unit Percy. 

Instead MacCready was surprised when she went straight through the middle of the deserted market and towards a red door, next to which sat a perfect power armour frame. Hazel removed a key from inside her bra, making MacCready's eyes widen suddenly and he continued to stare at the key's point of origin till he heard a click and the door swung open. 

”Where'd you steal that from, boss?" MacCady asked when Hazel ushered him inside. 

“Nowhere, I bought this place myself a few days before I hired you." Hazel explained. She walked towards the bottom of the stairs and reached up to flick the switch on the fuse box. The bottom floor of the house lit up brilliantly.   
Down the far end there was a counter, next to which stood a magazine rack laden with comics and magazine issues, a desk with a chair and a terminal, and a couple of couches. Closest to them was a massive wooden crate, when MacCready opened it he whistled. Sitting inside was a minigun, and a flamer along with their ammo. 

Next to the crate were more boxes and storage containers. A toolbox contained just that--tools, a cooler contained plenty of Nuka Colas and beers, a metal box contained ripped fabrics and buttons, a small suitcase filled with bullets of any kind, and a rack mounted along the wall.   
The rack contained a plethora of guns, ranging from simple 10mm pistols to glow-sighted pipe pistols, from stripped pipe rifles to scoped hunting rifles, and heavily modded sniper rifles. 

Hazel opened a steamer trunk and began emptying her pack while MacCready continued to look around. Upstairs, from what he could see, was a dresser at the foot of two beds pushed together to make one large one. On top of the dresser were a bunch of holotapes. 

”Impressive flop you have here, boss." MacCready complimented. He walked back over to the weapons rack. 

”Thank you. Took me two days and five people to transport all of my weapons and mods down here for storage." Hazel explained. 

”So storage. Is that what you use this place for?" 

”For the moment. Once I get Shaun back I hope to have someplace safe for him to live. Him and....anyone else who wants too." She added the last bit quickly and slammed the steamer closed, "Alright, let's go." 

They were back on the road before MacCready had a chance to ask what she meant. Instead he decided to drop it and continue to watch her back. 

Getting out of Boston was harder than either of them had anticipated. It seemed that night was the time for Super Mutants to become more of a menace that usual. Around almost every corner was a mutant camp of some kind, be it a large set up, or just a small group of two and a dog. Either way they found themselves wasting more ammo than originally planned, and ended up spending the rest of the night in Hangman's alley, sitting around one of the trash bin fires in order to keep warm and out of the settler's ways. 

”They seem unhappy to be living in here, Hay." MacCready observed. 

Hazel hummed in agreement, "Unfortunately it's not the best defended settlement I run. I can barely get here through the armies of muties and raiders. It's a wonder this place hasn't burnt to the ground yet." 

”Is there something you can do?" 

Hazel jerked her head to the door leading between two buildings and out to the bay; "There's traps and turrets lining that entrance, and that one" she pointed to the white door they had entered from, "has a few turrets hidden in the shadows. It's a small settlement, built for short stays, not extended living. I have a supply caravan that comes through here every week, I think we missed it by a few hours." 

”Shame."

”I guess everyone is just down from the necessity of silence to keep this place hidden. We've agreed not to run the generator at night, it draws too much attention." 

MacCready nodded in agreement. He stretched and yawned, "I'm gonna get some shut eye boss."

Hazel nodded, "Sure. There's a mattress around the side near the weapons workbench. I usually hole up there whenever I'm here."

MacCready followed her instructions and crossed the settlement, skirting the communal cook pot and finding the mattress hidden behind a wooden screen. Another trash bin fire was lit here, keeping the small corner well heated. It wasn't long before MacCready was asleep. 

At some point during the night he was nudged awake. He jolted awake, his eyes flying open and he looked around wildly. The trash bin fire had gone down and was now cherry red embers simmering in the wire bin. That wasn't what woke him though, crawling onto the mattress with with was Hazel. 

”Waddya doin', boss?" MacCready asked groggily, still mostly asleep. 

”There's nowhere else to sleep. I'm sorry." Hazel explained as she positioned herself on her back on the very edge of the mattress. 

MacCready scooted himself over, lying on his side. He reached one arm out to Hazel and pulled her closer to him. At first Hazel was reluctant, but she moved closer, rolling onto her side so she was facing him. 

”More room." He clarified. Justifying to himself why he desperately wanted to hold her in his arms that very second. Instead he pulled his arms back to himself and watched Hazel for a moment, his eye lids heavy and preventing him from watching her for longer than a few seconds before the need to blink took over. 

Long slow blinks that gradually drew longer, and made his vision hazy till Hazel was nothing but a blurred smudge in front of him, then everything was dark. 

Cracking an eye open MacCready almost grunted in annoyance at the sunlight flooding Hangman's Alley. Instead he noticed something else. First, that he had slept the night through, second that Hazel was still on the mattress with him, and third that she was now curled in his arms, back against his chest, head resting on the bicep of his under her head, legs tangled, her soft backside pressed against...well...something that was not so soft. 

He held his breath and hoped that she wouldn't wake, and if she did that she wouldn't be offended. It's not like he could help it. He scooted his pelvis away from her but not so far that she would be able to feel the loss of his body heat. 

She stirred slightly, rubbing her mouth and nose against the fabric on his arm before she seemed to come to her senses. She sat up quickly, snorting with laughter, and wiped the corner of her mouth. 

”I'm so sorry, I think I drooled on you." 

MacCready leaned to get a better look at the fabric of his shirt. Sure enough there was a darker patch on his bicep. He looked at her with lowered eyebrows and an unamused expression. She only laughed harder. 

They were back on the road within the hour, eating the still warm mutt chops Hazel had cooked. 

”So, boss, you haven't told me about your life before all of this." He waved his hand about, motioning to everything in general. 

”There's not much to say really." Hazel said. 

”Start from the beginning, where you grew up and stuff." 

Hazel smiled, "Well alright then. I was actually born overseas in a country called Australia. My parents decided to move when I was only ten months old, so I don't remember the place, nor did my parents have the accent. Real easy to loose apparently. Anyway, I grew up in Boston. Boston has been my home all my life, there was this guy I grew up with--Sam I think his name was--he lived across the road from me and we went to the same school.

"When we were kids we used to play at each other's houses all the time, I saw more of his family than I did my own. I honestly thought I was going to date him when my parents allowed me, but when we reached high school he just kind of became--"

”An asshole?"

”Yeah. A skirt chaser, going after girls even when he was in a relationship. Treating his girlfriends like they owed him something. Just a downright unlikeable guy. He tried to seduce a close friend of mine, but she turned him down with an ice cream to the face."

MacCready snorted. 

”When I graduated I did a nursing course for four years, then joined the military. Army Nurse. That's how I met Nate, he was brought to me on a stretcher with a compound fracture and shrapnel in his leg. Even high on pain meds he was a good flirt." Hazel smiled fondly at the memories, "I quit the armed forces when we married. He didn't, he continued for another year. On top of my nurse job I did a law degree, and to help pay for it I taught kids how to play the piano.

”Nate bought me a grand piano as a graduation present. A beautiful black thing that was the pride and joy of my home. About six months later I became pregnant with Shaun." 

MacCready watched with interest as Hazel recounted her life. They walked side by side, so close their shoulders were almost touching. They reached Cambridge and paused to scope out any potential threats. When none made themselves apparent right away they continued. 

”Nate quit the armed forces when I was eight months pregnant. That's also when we got Codsworth. I was a little nervous about having a domesticated robot in my house, my mother had certainly filled my head with stories of the things going rogue and malfunctioning, killing everyone in their homes and streets, but Codsworth was just what we needed. Almost like the family wasn't going to be complete without him. 

"He insisted on calling me 'Miss Hazel' for the first month or two of his introduction, always calling Nate 'Sir', but as he warmed up to us, and us to him he began calling me 'mum' and Nate 'dad'. It was nice, despite the fact he's a floating robot. Shaun's arrival brought the entire family into my house. I had a home birth, it happened just so fast that we couldn't get to the hospital in time. Everyone was called, everyone showed up and met the newest edition to the Douge-Moore family. We named him Shaun Nathaniel Moore."

”Sounds like you really had the dream life." MacCready commented. 

Hazel huffed a laugh, "Yeah. I guess I did. Shaun was eight months when the first bomb fell. When we were frozen in vault one-eleven. We barely made it to the vault in time, I remember the bright light, the mushroom cloud, and the concussion wave that nearly knocked me off my feet and stripped every tree of its leaves, and every house of its shingles.

"When I found Codsworth after I got out he was almost delirious with happiness, refused to leave me for the longest time, even helped me fight off a Deathclaw in Concord with a dog at my heels. He only agreed to let me travel without him when I told him I wanted him to stay at home and keep my geraniums reputation of being the best in Sanctuary."

MacCready smiled, he had to admit Codsworth had given him a warm welcome in Sanctuary. Obviously the robot was precious to Hazel, as was evident when a settler tried to insult him and Hazel threatened to pull her gun on the guy. 

”After Concord I went to Dimond City where I met Piper. She pointed me to Nick Valentine, but while trying to find where Valentine had gotten himself stuck I ended up taking a wrong turn and ended up in Goodneighbor for the first time. I met Daisy there, nice woman, and Hancock. Hancock got me to do a few jobs for him, then one day I just...found him at Sanctuary. He's the one who pointed me to you. I go to the Third Rail, I see a scrawny guy in a hat being talked down by two of the dumbest mercenaries I've ever seen, I hire the guy, and he's followed me around ever since."

MacCready snorted at the mention of himself and he pulled the brim of his hat down to cover his eyes and his widening smile. ”Look where that got me, clearing out raider dens and teaming up with the Brotherhood of Squeal." 

”You love it."

_I love you_. MacCready almost said but caught himself. They walked in silence for a moment before Hazel spoke. 

”So what about you? What's your life story?"

”Not nearly as safe sounding as yours. I grew up in that place Little Lamplight, the scavver team in charge when I was small found me crying behind a dumpster and brought me back. I guess whoever was mayor at the time thought I could stay, because suddenly I was surrounded by a bunch of snot nose brats I called my family. 

"We looked out for each other, and shot anyone who tried to hurt us. I was mayor for a little while, a long while actually. Those kids trusted me to fill their needs and keep them safe. Lucy was our resident doctor, she was a whizz for anything medical. She saved my life when a cave-in almost flattened me, we became friends pretty fast. Of course, being friends with a girl brought all sorts of teasing, but the teasing stopped when I punched Princess in the face after her three minute rule of Little Lamplight and was promoted Scavver to Mayor all within the same day. 

"Lucy was older than me by a year. She left Little Lamplight before me when she turned sixteen, leaving one of the younger kids behind to fill her empty spot of resident doctor. I ended up leaving three months early. I couldn't stand it anymore, living down there next to that vault. It was horrible, so I got out as fast as I could. I was sixteen when I signed onto the Gunners, sixteen when I met up with Lucy again."

”She must have waited for you." Hazel remarked. 

MacCready smiled at the thought, "Yeah. Yeah I guess she did. Anyway, we married and agreed that a child would be the best thing to happen to us. I was seventeen when Duncan was born, I quit the Gunners the very next day and spent the next month making sure they couldn't follow our tracks. For a while it seemed everything was going well, that everything was going to be happy and carefree. I was so wrong. 

"We made the mistake of holing up in a metro station one night. Lucy was tired from walking for so long, and Duncan was fussing from being carried all day. He was starting to walk and didn't like being carried for long periods of time. After dinner, Lucy kissed me goodnight, kissed Duncan goodnight, and wrapped herself up in her sleeping back and attempted to get some sleep before her turn to watch. 

"Duncan was still fussing so I let him walk for a while, I held his hands above his head and walked wherever he went, steering him away from the edge of the tracks and just simply playing with him. Next thing I know, Lucy is screaming and there's ferals everywhere. They came from out of nowhere, no warning not even a sound."

MacCready paused, his throat constricting painfully. He took a deep breath and continued, "She told me to grab Duncan and run. So I did. I left my gun behind, our bags, my wife. I kept running till I could no longer see the station and Duncan was crying. The next day I made a holotape about it, I didn't get far. The stupid thing is back at home anyway. I hope Duncan doesn't listen to it, I haven't told him how Lucy died yet. 

"Duncan was only a year old. I went back two years later to see if there was anything left I could bring home, instead I was greeted by a bigger pack of ferals and a pile of bones. I raised Duncan on my own at our farm, taught him some useful skills on tilling dirt. Instead he'd just play around in the fields. That's when he caught that disease. 

"I entrusted his safety to an old friend, jumped on the first caravan that was heading to the Commonwealth and tried to make a name for myself, but with almost no caps I was forced into joining the Gunner again. They knew me from way back when, kept asking me about my girl. They didn't know of course, so I didn't tell them, but these guys were worse than the Gunners in the Capitol Wasteland, so I cut my losses and spent three months covering my tracks. 

"Daisy, in Goodneighbor, keeps me updated on Duncan's progress, and I send letters to him on her caravans, and sometimes he writes back. This was the last letter I got, a few days before you hired me." 

MacCready fished through his pack till he pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. The paper was fragile, the creases bulging and almost ripping. Hazel unfolded it and read its contents. 

Written in large clumsy letters that clunked across the page were the words; "Miss you." Sighed Duncan MacCready. The sight of the letters made Hazel's heart clench and she fought back the sting of tears behind her eyes and nose, she folded the letter back up and handed it to MacCready reverently. 

“He's lucky to have such a dedicated dad." 

MacCready took the letter from him and tucked it away in an inside pocket of his duster, patting it down against his chest. ”Don't underestimate yourself, Hay. Shaun is an extremely lucky kid, you're willing to run around the entire Commomwealth just to get him back." 

Hazel was silent for a moment, worried that he set off some worry she left dormant he chanced a glance over at her. She was smiling, using her newsboy cap to try and over her face by pulling down and covering her entire face with it. 

MacCready laughed, "What? What are you smiling at?" 

”That's the second time you've called me 'Hay'." She explained, her voice muffled by her hat. 

”A-am I wrong to call you that?" MacCready asked.

”N-no. It's...it's cute. I like it." Hazel pulled her cap away from her face and settled it back over her light brown hair. 

MacCready continued to smile at her until she turned away. They continued walking in relative silence, swapping smaller stories about jobs and slip ups. MacCready laughed at Hazel's first attempt at using power armour which resulted in her landing face first on the ground in front of the Deathclaw in Concord. MacCready confessed that Duncan's first word was something along the lines of "shit", resulting in Lucy cuffing MacCready's ear and MacCready's promise to clean up his language. 

MacCready confessed that when he first saw Hazel in the Third Rail he thought she was with Winlock and Barnes and was planning a way to kill her to save his own skin. Hazel admitted that when she saw Winlock and Barnes in front of MacCready she almost turned around and left the room, thinking she had gotten there too late. 

Their stories continued till suddenly Hazel shouted in pain. She doubled back, clutching her upper left arm and git her teeth. MacCready was confused for a moment till he heard another gun shot, and he ducked. The bullet pinged against the concrete, in line with where his head previously was. He whirled around and caught sight of the Super Mutant on the roof, reloading its gun. 

MacCready scrambled to Hazel and pulled her into the safety of the shadow of a building. She whimpered and pulled her hand away from her arm, it was slick with blood. MacCready cocked his rifle and rested it against his shoulder, dropping onto one knee he used his raised knee to steady his aim and peered through his scope. 

The mutant had reloaded and was now aiming at where they hid. MacCready lined up his shot and hit the mutant square between the eyes, it fell in a spray of blood. MacCready turned back to Hazel and bent to have a look at her wound when beeping filled his ears. 

The hairs on the back of his neck stood erect and Hazel's eyes widened, her throbbing arm completely forgotten. The beeping grew louder and Hazel whimpered in fright. She grabbed MacCready's arm and hauled him in the opposite direction of the beeping. 

”I. Fucking. Hate. Suiciders!" Hazel practically screamed as she hauled MacCready behind her, keeping her wounded arm bent at her chest so she didn't jostle it too badly. 

”Where the hell is it!?" MacCready called, looking around frantically. The beeping still followed them, sparking Hazel into a panic again as she let go of MacCready to use her good arm to gain more speed. MacCready followed, pumping his arms at his sides and forcing his legs to stretch further. 

He felt something pull in his thigh when they had to jump over the hood of a car, swinging their legs over so they could slide to the other side. 

”I see it! _I see it_!" Hazel called, looking over her shoulder. Her hair flew about her face wildly as she tried to grab a grenade from her pack. 

MacCready reached out and pulled it off her pack for her, pulling the pin with his teeth. He turned around to get a bead on the mutant and saw it, it was closer than he thought and his heart leapt into his throat in fright. He threw the grenade at the mutant and watched as it exploded two feet from the mutant's face. 

The resulting heat triggered the mini nuke strapped to the mutant's chest and it exploded in a spectacular explosion that pushed Hazel and MacCready forward, they landed on their bellies and skidded a few centimetres forward. 

MacCready groaned and rolled onto his back, rubbing his face. His fingers came away with spots of blood and he was reminded of Hazel's arm. He crawled to where she lay on her side, clutching her arm again and groaning. 

”Boss, boss, Hay. Let me see, let me see." MacCready pried her fingers away from the wound and pulled her arm closer to to him. 

”Ow! Ow, ow, ow!" Hazel complained. 

”I know, I know. Just let me see." MacCready examined the wound, trying to see through the blood oozing down her arm. ”There's no exit wound." 

“Bugger slug is still in there." Hazel said through gritted teeth. 

”Do you have anything I can remove it with?" 

Hazel growled as she shrugged off her pack. She pushed it to MacCready and pointed at it. ”I think I have a pair of pliers or tweezers in there somewhere." 

MacCready waisted no time in searching through her pack. He praised her stupid hoarding habits when he pulled out a pair of clean pliers with a triumphant "A-ha!" He turned back to her and helped her remove her jacket, she cried out loudly when the fabric slid over the wound. 

”Okay boss, stay very still." 

”Wait, wait! Use some Med-X." Hazel said quickly, grabbing his wrist to stop him from moving. She huffed a laugh, "C'mon, I thought your wife was a doctor." 

MacCready laughed nervously and pulled out a syringe of Med-X. 

”Not the whole thing. Small dabs." Hazel reminded. 

MacCready followed her instructions and numbed the area around the bullet. When Hazel was no longer clutching her arm with a white knuckle grip he pushed the pliers into the wound. Hazel jumped and grabbed his arm quickly with her free hand, clutching tightly to him. 

”Gently, gently." Hazel said in rapid succession. MacCready obeyed with a hushed apology and pushed till the pliers hit something hard. He tapped it again and when Hazel whimpered once he opened the pliers and gripped the bullet. 

He slipped off the bullet three times and had to spend more time trying to find it again after each failed attempt at removing it. Hazel grunted in annoyance and it slipped into a whimper as the Med-X began to wear off. 

”I got it!" MacCready called in triumph once he pulled the slug out of her arm. He promptly dropped the pliers and the bullet on the ground and pulled out an old plaid shirt and tore it into strips. 

Hazel made a noise and he looked at her, "That could've gone to some of the kids at Starlight." 

”Sheesh, boss, how many settlements do you have?" MacCready asked as he tied one strip tightly around her bicep above the wound and began to wrap the others down her arm. 

”A fair few." Hazel replied through gritted teeth. She grunted loudly "Are you done yet?" 

”Almost." He tied off the last strip and removed a Stimpak from the vault-tec lunchbox and pulled the cap off with his teeth. He jabbed it in her arm, through the thinnest part of the wrapping and pushed the plunger down. 

It must have brought some form of relief to her as he heard her sigh in relief. She let herself lean back off her heels and landed on her backside with a slight whump. She braced herself on her uninjured arm and rolled her head on her shoulder so she was looking at MacCready lazily. 

Then she began giggling. 

”What's so funny?" 

”That mutant came out of nowhere." Hazel explained. 

”That's not funny." MacCready flatlined. 

”I know." Yet Hazel continued to giggle. 

MacCready scoffed, shaking his head and helped her to her feet. ”Come on, Hay. Let's get moving again." 

Hazel hummed in agreement and held her hand out for her pack. When MacCready didn't give it to her she whined, "I still have one good shoulder you know." 

”Can you carry it though?" 

Hazel steeled herself and looked at him blankly, she snatched her pack from him and swung it on her good shoulder, poking her tongue out at him as she took point. MacCready smiled and fell into step behind her.


	12. Can't Help Falling In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wise men say only fools rush in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40  
> http://youtu.be/ZwGWRrIlz68  
> http://youtu.be/WHYY-_3Ft84  
> http://youtu.be/fOZUKppndaE  
> http://youtu.be/TpUP0jjicqY  
> https://youtu.be/6ThQkrXHdh4

They were a few minutes from Taffington Boathouse when Hazel made an excited noise and reached for her pip-boy. 

”I love this song!" She explained, turning the volume up so the tune of _The Wanderer_ reached MacCready's ears from where he walked slightly behind her. He smiled with his eyebrows quirked in questioning as she started to walk with a bounce in her step. 

”Oh, well, I'm the type of guy, who will never settle down!" She began singing, a little louder than was probably wise but MacCready couldn't bring himself to stop her. He watched as she turned on her heel so she was facing him, walking backwards. 

”Where pretty girls are, you'll know that I'm around, I kiss 'me and I love 'em 'cause to me they're all the same," Hazel continued to sing, she winked at MacCready with a sly grin that cause a blush to flood across his cheeks.

”They call me the wanderer, yeah, a wanderer, I roam around, around, around." 

”Hazel," MacCready started, trying to stop his mirth from catching his voice, "Y-you need to lower your voice." 

Hazel poked her tongue out at him, but she obeyed; her singing quietened till she was no louder than a gentle melody. She still walked with a bounce in her step and a swing in her steps. MacCready watched her, unable to take his eyes off her. He felt bad asking her to lower her voice, but being too loud could cost them their lives, especially since one of the minutemen posted at Taffington radioed to her through a private frequency on her pip-boy that an Assultron was spotted passing through with a group of Gunners a few days ago. 

They had possibly passed on already, but they could never be too careful. Hazel continued to sing and hum until the song was over, she turned the volume back down on her pip-boy and smiled to MacCready. 

They reached the Boathouse a few moments after. Hazel greeted the settler posted at the guard post, catching a ball they threw at her and tossing it to a child who came running past. They walked through the front door of the Boathouse, passing settlers and caravan guards. Hazel walked into the kitchen and stopped. 

The Railroad agent was standing in the middle of the room. When he saw Hazel he seemed to relax a little, "Ah, good. You're here. I have Intel on G5-12's progress."

Hazel blinked slowly, a little taken aback at the abrupt welcoming. ”Report." 

”G5 made it to Bunker Hill, Drummer Boy picked him up and took him back to HQ." 

Hazel nodded. ”Good. Good." 

”We have another package needing transport." 

”I can't." Hazel cut him off. 

”What?" 

”I can't." Hazel repeated. ”I am chasing a lead to an Institute serum." She stated. 

MacCready looked at her. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either. MacCready had a hunch that whatever was in Med-Tek could belong to the Institute, but it was also likely that the place was cleared out and nothing of any use remained. That thought made his heart jerk and he had to hold back a sudden intake of breath that would betray his train of thought. 

Hazel looked at him with a questioning gaze before turning away from the kitchen and heading upstairs. ”C'mon, Mac. Let's restock and head out."

MacCready followed her to a room with three beds and a desk with a broken terminal on top of it. Hazel crossed to the desk and pulled open the draws. The draws were packed with boxes of ammo. She tossed a few to MacCready, who caught them effortlessly and stuffed them into the pouches on his belt. 

Hazel opened a box of .308 caliber bullets and reloaded her magazine. She jammed it back into her rifle and shouldered the gun and pocketed the rest of the bullets. 

”Alright. You ready?"

”Whenever you are." MacCready responded. 

”Let's hit the road." 

 

It was an easy walk from the Taffington Boathouse to Med-Tek. Almost too easy. Hazel was practically jumping at shadows by the time they reached the place, growing more on edge the closer they got. 

After picking off a few ghouls at the entrance Hazel stood with her hand on the door, she turned back to MacCready who looked like he was crouched to pounce or run a marathon. The grip on his rifle was tight, to the point his knuckles were white. 

”You ready?" Hazel asked. 

”Born ready, boss." Was MacCready's answer. With that Hazel kicked the door open and threw her rifle up, ready to hit anything that came screaming. 

As the echo of the door slamming open radiated through the building several ghouls jerked their heads up from their positions on the floor and instantly came swarming towards the pair. Hazel picked off the quickest ones, stepping aside as their bodies continued to move, propelled by their momentum. They slid to a stop on the steps outside. 

MacCready shot the stragglers, the ones that didn't get up in enough time, or the ones that were still standing around looking confused. ”Alright." He said once the last of the ghouls lay dead at their feet. He looked around briefly before turning to Hazel, she had already moved from him and was punching letters into the terminal on the desk. ”We've gotta find the executive terminal. It's the only way to shut off the lockdown." 

Hazel whistled quietly, "This is some serious lockdown-- _airlock doors_? What kind of place were they running here, what's _in_ here?" 

”The cure for my son." MacCready responded. 

Hazel nodded in agreement before abandoning the terminal.

They weaved through the upper floors of the building, Hazel even tried the airlock terminal. Blinking rapidly in annoyance at herself, and whoever the hell air locked the place, that she thought that would work. 

Eventually they found the terminal they needed. 

”About damn time." Hazel growled and began punching in the access codes. MacCready handed her a slip of paper, well worn, yellowed and torn with smudged writing across its surface. The characters had long since bleed into the paper, and their edges were fuzzy as if the paper had been dipped in water at some point. 

It took Hazel two times to get the password right, her heart clenching each time as she braced for some form of security to appear and turn MacCready and herself into more bodies on the floor. When nothing happened but the alert of the airlock systems being released she smiled over her shoulder at MacCready. 

”Nice." She said. MacCready just laughed. 

The elevators on the lower levels were working, oddly enough. Hazel stood close to MacCready as they rode to the basement. 

MacCready turned to Hazel, ”Hey, I really appreciate you doing this." 

”It's no problem at all."

”It should be a problem! You're putting you life on hold to save my son while your's is still in the hands of the Institute." MacCready defended. 

”If it wasn't for the Institute, your son may have gotten the medication he needed when he first became sick." Hazel countered. 

MacCready didn't have a response. She might have been right, after all did anyone really have any knowledge of the disease that plagued Duncan? He certainly didn't. The elevator pinged their arrival and they both drew up their guns and slowly made their way out, Hazel taking the lead. 

”What were Med-Tek _doing_?" Hazel breathed. 

MacCready looked ahead to see what she was talking about and found several ghouls walking aimlessly around cell blocks. Some of the ghouls looked to have half-formed faces sprouting from their heads, others seemed perfectly normal for a feral ghoul. Some stood stiller than a statue. Staring. 

The biggest concentration of ghouls was in a room MacCready could not see into from his vantage, but he could catch a glimpse of several ghouls shambling about the room. 

He sighed heavily. Fuck, "I hate ferals." He ground out from between his lips before he jerked his head for Hazel to take the lead again. 

With their practiced routine they mowed down the ghouls quickly, Hazel picked up any cap, chem, and bullet she could find and tucked them all away in her pack till MacCready was worried she was going to prick her finger on one of the needles and contaminate it. He had to remind himself that she was a doctor. Well, a nurse, but was there really any difference in the Wasteland? 

It took Hazel thirty seconds to release the airlock on the room MacCready was convinced the cure lay within. What greeted them when the door opened was not the cure, but a feral ghoul stark nude with skin greener than radioactive waste and glowing. 

It growled and lunched at Hazel, who squealed loudly and ducked out of the way, kicking the ghoul behind its knees in an attempt to knock it over. It went sprawling into MacCready who unfortunately was breathing in at that time and gagged as the smell of festering putrid flesh filled his nostrils. He pushed the ghoul off him and shot twice, missing both times as he tried to get his retching under control. 

The ghoul made a grab at him, succeeding in grabbing a fistful of MacCready's scarf and pulling, as if to pull flesh from bone. The action tightened the scarf around MacCready's neck and he frantically tried to kick the thing away as his airway became restricted. 

Suddenly the grip went slack and the ghoul rounded on whoever had hit it. Hazel stood behind it had had whacked it with the butt of her rifle. It now turned to her, screeching and grabbing at her. Hazel was quicker though, and managed to fire three shots to the head, hitting it twice and missing once. The ghoul spasmodic before it fell to the floor, dead. 

A shiver ran up MacCready's spine and he shook. They looked at each other for a moment before Hazel spoke first "What the fuck was that?"

”I have no idea." MacCready supplied, continuing to look at the body of the ghoul as they walked into the room. 

”Geez this is a mess." Hazel commented. 

True enough, the room was a mess of papers, wire baskets, and filing cabinets. They split up and each took one side of the room, slowly sifting through the debris for something that resembled a cure to _anything_.

After an hour and finding nothing but Buffout, Psycho, plenty of Jet and RadAway MacCready began to loose hope. He found a Grognak comic. He dropped it on the floor. He heard Hazel throw something but didn't bother looking up. A whine began to form at the back of his throat as each over turned basket turned up fruitless. 

”Mac!" Hazel suddenly called, getting his attention. 

”What?" 

”I think I have it!" 

He came running over as soon as those words left her mouth. Sure enough in her hands was the fattest syringe he had ever seen. Thick, red, with the word 'prevent' written on the side in fat, uniform text. He took it from her hands reverently, watching it as if it would disappear from his hands the second he took his eyes off it. 

He sniffed and only realised then that he was on the edge of tears. He looked up at Hazel and suddenly it felt like he had run straight into a brick wall, the impact knocking the air from his lungs as he stumbled back only to land on his ass in a fit of embarrassment. 

He loved her. He loved this woman who had picked him up as nothing more than a hired gun, this woman who paid for his rooms, ammo, food, and clothing. He loved the woman who had listened to his plea for help, and who had cleared a Gunner den just so he could sleep easier. She had lended her shoulder when he needed the support, had never given up on him. 

Now she stood next to him, almost in tears herself, as he held the cure to his son's illness in his hands. He couldn't wait any longer. He placed the syringe down on the countertop and pulled her to him. 

With her boots on she was taller than him again, but at this point he didn't care. He pressed his lips to her's with hurried urgency, smashing their noses together and causing their teeth to collide, making him wince in pain but he refused to pull away. 

Hazel tilted her head to grant a better angle and threaded her hands through his hair, knocking his hat from his head. They ignored it as it tumbled to the ground with a small thud, too wrapped up in each other to care. 

Hazel sighed as their lips parted, but they didn't stay far for long as she pulled him right back, taking his breath from him again. MacCready wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body to his, desperate to feel her closer. He crouched slightly and gripped behind her thighs and hoisting her onto the countertop so she sat with him between her legs. 

She was too tall now and MacCready had to break their kiss once again. He looked up at her as she struggled to open her eyes. As she didn't, slowly, MacCready rubbed his nose against hers before resting his forehead against hers and sighing. 

”Thankyou." He whispered. 

”Th...that was a hell of a thank you." Hazel whispered, her voice just as quiet. 

”I love you." MacCready confessed, and he found himself speaking the truth. His heart stopped in fright as soon as the words were uttered but it was too late to reel them back. 

Hazel was quiet for a long time. Neither of them moved, save for MacCready as he dropped his arms from around her hips and slid them under the hem of her shirt, blinking slowly to savour the feel of her skin under his fingertips. 

It probably wasn't the best thing to do, but MacCready didn't care. Finally Hazel spoke, "I...I love you too." 

The grin that split MacCready's lips made his check ache, but he wasn't going to be able to stop. He helped her down from the counter and pressed a few move kissed to her lips, before grabbing the syringe and putting it in the lunch box in her pack. 

”Let's go." He announced once he was done. 

”Where are we going?"

”Goodneighbor. To Daisy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE DORKS FINALLY CONFESS! And of course the song inspiration for this chapter is pretty cliche but whatever it's my favourite song


	13. The Only Exception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”You think I'm beautiful?"
> 
> ”I think you're breath taking"
> 
> NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration (will update as we progress)
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40  
> http://youtu.be/ZwGWRrIlz68  
> http://youtu.be/WHYY-_3Ft84  
> http://youtu.be/fOZUKppndaE  
> http://youtu.be/TpUP0jjicqY  
> https://youtu.be/6ThQkrXHdh4  
> http://youtu.be/-J7J_IWUhls

They travelled to Sanctuary first, giving themselves a chance to bathe and wash their clothes. Hazel kneeled under the smaller water purifier, at a large wooden bucket slapping soap suds out of her pants. From her vantage on the slope of the hill she could see MacCready washing in the stream. 

He stood waist deep in the stream with his back to her, his--now clean--clothes were hanging from the wooden part of the fence on the shore. Hazel watched as he used a smaller bucket to wet his hair before lathering the bar of unscented soap through it. He seemed to pause and look at his hands before Hazel watched as he grabbed fist fills of his hair and manipulated the sudsy strands to stand straight up in a line down his head. He put his hands on his hips and titled his head from side to side, as if showing the Mohawk off to an audience. 

He then gently tapped the top of the Mohawk so it folded down over the base. Hazel stifled her laughter as she watched him style his hair till he grew fed up and rinsed the soap out before washing the suds off the rest of his body. 

Hazel quickly looked away when he turned to grab his clothes and redress himself, finishing with her own clothes she hung them to dry over a pipe. She had washed and changed into a fresh set of clothes a while ago. 

She was alerted to MacCready's arrival by a small spray of water as he shook the water from his hair. 

”Oi!" She complained, bringing her hands up to block most of the water with a laugh. 

”Gotta dry your hair somehow, boss." MacCready explained, contradicting his statement by immediately placing his cap over his wet hair. 

Hazel reached up and took it from him, placing it on her own head and placing her newsboy cap on his. It was too small for him and made her laugh. 

MacCready chuckled, "Alright, give it back." 

”No." Hazel smiled, moving away and clamping her hands down on his hat so he wouldn't be able to take it. 

MacCready didn't pursue her. Instead he watched as she playfully ran away, almost running into Deacon as the man came down the hill with a handful of clothes. He heard her giggled apologies, and Deacon's smart but friendly remarks before Hazel called out to MacCready again. 

”Alright, Mac. We ready?"

MacCready felt his stomach churn suddenly. They were finally on their way to Goodneighbor, finally stepping in the right direction, finally going to save his son. MacCready nodded and followed Hazel up the hill, pocketing her cap and taking the time to enjoy the quiet. 

They were back out on the road within half an hour, Hazel still wore his hat, but her casual flannel clothes were replaced by the leather jacket and combat fatigues she had found in a floor safe in her home, they even had her name written on them. MacCready thought it was a little weird that anyone would keep army clothing in a safe, but Hazel obviously had her reasons. 

As they passed Red Rocket truck stop, MacCready took count of the number of dogs there. Dogmeat, ever loyal, sat in the middle of the road with Daisy beside him. Strong Junior, and Sammy were the ones he recognised, and the only ones still there. The others had wandered off, or were inside the truck stop where MacCready couldn't see them. The sight of less dogs unnerved him, rather unexpectedly. During his stay at Sanctuary he had seen many of the dogs come into the settlement through smaller hatches in the fence, and they left the same way. 

He wondered where they went off too, and why they kept coming back. 

They were silent as they walked, guns up and loaded, waiting for something to pounce on them. It was during this silence Hazel spoke. 

”Is what you said true?" 

MacCready looked at her. 

”You said you love me. Is that really true? Or were you just saying it because you were caught up in the moment?" Hazel clarified. 

MacCready continued to just look at her for a moment, eyebrows lowered and a confused daze to his eyes. Without his hat, the sun could catch the blue of his eyes more, making it deeper, clearer, more like glacial ice than the colour of the sky at midday. Hazel wondered if he even knew what glaciers were. 

”I meant every word I said, Hazel." MacCready spoke slowly and with purpose, giving her no room for doubt. 

Hazel felt a blush cover her cheeks and she had to look away, pulling the brim of MacCready's hat over her eyes. No wonder he kept doing that, it was effective in keeping him from seeing her, unlike her cap that was smaller and was only good as a tool to hold her hair back when her hair tie snaps. 

MacCready moved closer and put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to his side. He took the opportunity to nuzzle her hair and press a kiss to her ear, making her giggle. Her arm snaked around his waist and she squeezed him closer slightly. They walked hand in hand till they reached Taffington Boathouse, using the Railroad safe house as a landmark Hazel scouted their next route straight to Goodneighbor. 

The journey to Goodneighbor was swift, the pair of them taking as many short cuts as possible without running into raiders or ferals. They ran into a pack of super mutants just outside Goodneighbor unexpectedly and MacCready received a teeth-jarring slap to the back from a wooden board, but the mutant received a Molotov to the face in return, flung from Hazel's own hand. 

They were dispatched of quickly, and Hazel only searched through one of the bodies, finding nothing of use save for a single, solitary cap. They pushed the door to Goodneighbor open and MacCready quickly walked to Daisy's Discounts. 

The town was mostly asleep, the small duo having arrived at almost two in the morning. K-L-E-O was awake and talking to a neighbourhood watch about different ways to gut your enemy while keeping them alive, making Hazel's skin crawl in both disgust and curiosity. She ignored the exchange in favour of MacCready standing up on the counter of Daisy's store and banging on the ceiling. 

An annoyed grumble came from upstairs and the floorboard creaked as someone moved about. The grumbling continued till Hazel saw someone coming down the stairs, rubbing sleep from their eyes. 

”There had better be a damn good reason for waking me at this--MacCready!" Daisy's annoyed attitude suddenly evaporated at the sight of the man. She blinked a couple of times, clearing the last bit of sleep from her eyes before shaking her head and walking to stand behind the counter, making a shooing motion at him, prompting him to get off the counter. ”Haven't seen you here in a while. You haven't been trying to avoid me have you?"

”I could never stay away from someone as cute as you, Daisy." MacCready responded. 

The ghoul laughed, "You're a lousy liar. Now, why did you wake me? What's so important that it can't wait till the sun's risen?" 

“I got it, Daisy." MacCready said. He reached for Hazel's pack, taking it from her gently when she handed it over. He pulled out the lunchbox of syringes and carefully placed the fat red one containing the cure on the counter. ”I finally got the cure for Duncan's disease."

Daisy looked at the syringe with wide eyes before looking up to MacCready, all hint of tiredness left her features and voice as she responded, "Oh my god! That's wonderful! How did you do it? The last time you went the ferals almost chewed you to bits!" 

MacCready looked over his shoulder, "I didn't do it alone." His expression was soft as he looked at Hazel, thankful and full of wonder. ”My f-friend here got me through Med-Tek. Now I just need to get it to Duncan." 

”Say no more, MacCready. You've helped me more times than I can help, consider this the first instalment of my debt to you." Daisy responded. 

”No debt Daisy." MacCready assured. 

The ghoul ignored him in favour of looking over his shoulder at Hazel. ”Ms Moore, I'm surprised you took my advice. I must say I was amazed when I heard that the vault dweller from one-eleven and a scrawny merc cleaned out Boston Library. Thank you for making it a safer place."

Hazel only shrugged, "It was nothing Daisy." She paused, "How has MacCready helped you before?" 

”I'm not sure if he's told you, but Goodneighbor ain't exactly the friendliest of places. If every I've been in a jam, he's been there to help me out of it." Daisy explained. 

Hazel trusted Daisy, she had trusted the ghoul from the first moment she had set foot in Goodneighbor. She was reliable, always willing to trade or simply pay the caps Hazel was asking for. ”How are you going to get this to Duncan?" Hazel asked. 

Daisy wrapped the syringe in a thick cloth and placed it in a tool box before locking it. ”I have a caravan leaving at first light, the driver owes me a few favours. It'll be at your homestead in no time, MacCready." 

”Thanks." MacCready sounded like he was on the edge of tears as he spoke, "You're a doll."

Daisy laughed and placed the toolbox under the counter, she leaned her hands against the countertop, "While we're here, do you have anything more me, Ms Moore?" 

Hazel laughed and hefted her pack onto the counter with a thud, "I might have something." 

MacCready left the store to sit on the bench outside. His knees where weak and he felt lightheaded, he had finally done it. Duncan was going to be okay, he was going to live. Lucy would be so proud of him. Thoughts of Lucy brought a heavy nostalgia that settled on MacCready's shoulders. He looked up at Hazel as she talked quietly with Daisy, the pair exchanged caps and goods every now and again, laughed with each other. 

MacCready watched Hazel for a moment longer. Lucy would've like her, would have approved. If she had lived, the pair probably would have been a close and deadly team. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Hazel sat next to him with a sigh and titled her head back to look up at the stars. MacCready leaned back too and took the opportunity to look at her, study the outline of her profile in the dim lighting of Goodneighbor's street. 

After a moment she spoke, "Beautiful, isn't it?" 

”Yeah." MacCready responded, not taking his eyes from her. 

Hazel must have known because she tilted her head slightly so she could look at him and raised an eyebrow. ”Oh? You think I'm beautiful?"

”I think you're breath taking." He remarked. 

That brought a blush to Hazel's cheeks and she looked away. MacCready stopped her by cupping her cheek with his hand, tilting her head towards his he kissed her soundly, slanting his lips across her's. 

They broke away and he pressed his forehead against hers, "Thank you." He whispered. He pressed another kiss to her mouth before she could say anything, pulled away, before kissing her again, and again. 

Hazel stole short gasps between each kiss, her hand leaving her side to stroke up MacCready's neck, making his shiver, and settling in the hair at the nape of his neck. She opened her mouth slightly and was delighted when MacCready did the same, their tongues meeting briefly, allowing her to taste him. 

She giggled against his lips when he slipped a hand under the hem of her shift and stroked his fingers up her side. He pulled away, "Are...are you ticklish?" He asked, voice barely above a breathless whisper. 

Hazel shook her head, "Maybe." She clarified. 

With that piece of information rattling around in his head, MacCready hauled her onto his lap so she was half straddling him, half lying on him. With her now in a better position he stood, lifting her with him. 

She giggled loudly, they were hushed by the neighbourhood watch, to whom she quickly apologised, and MacCready started walking. 

”Wait wait, where are we going?" She asked between fits of giggles. 

”The Rexford?" MacCready half asked, suddenly aware that maybe she might not want to do this, aware that he should have asked first. 

”What about our bags? And our guns?" 

The question hit MacCready like a brick to the stomach and he put her down gently with an overly exaggerated expression of annoyance. He made a 'wait there' motion and ran back to grab their weapons and packs before returning. He wrapped his free arm around Hazel's shoulders as best he could with her height and brought her close to his side. 

He nuzzled her neck as they walked, kissing the skin near her pulse-point gently so as not to leave any marks...yet. 

They were greeted grumpily by someone MacCready could not give a damn about, the ten caps used on the room were barely given a second thought as they chased each other up the stairs quietly. When MacCready reached Hazel she would reward him with a chaste kiss that contradicted the wandering tick of her hands as she lifted his shirt and caressed the skin of his lower belly, making him hum. 

Before he could place a finger on her however, she took off from him, leaving him on the landing as she took the next set of stairs two at a time. He followed eagerly, trying not to get too excited too early. 

She lead him down the hall to the room they had rented and she pulled him through the doorway by gently grabbing his scarf. He followed obediently, gathering her in his arms and kissing her neck. 

The tension building between them snapped for a moment when MacCready whispered "Thank you" against her skin. His wandering movements stopped and he simply wound his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, so her back was pressed against his chest. He kissed her cheek, and mumbled incoherent things against her skin. 

Hazel turned her head to capture his mouth with hers, silencing him as she turned in his grip and began unwinding the scarf tied snuggle around his neck. She pulled it off and let it fall to the floor, arching her head to gain a better angle she heard--and felt--him hum against her lips. He moved one hand to cup her cheek and dragged his mouth away from hers, struggling to open his eyes so he could look at her. 

She was panting, taking deep breaths and watching him through hooded eyes. She pushed his duster off his shoulders and he let it slide down his arms to join his scarf on the floor. He swallowed, suddenly nervous. 

Hazel must had noticed and she pulled away slightly, "Is...is this okay?" She asked, her hands hovering over his shoulders. 

MacCready looked at her, blue eyes meeting hazel-green, and he made up his mind. He nodded with a small smile and pressed a kiss to her nose. Hazel let her hands rest on his shoulders and she giggled, scrunching her nose up in response to him kissing it, making him lean forward to kiss it more. 

Hazel pressed her own kisses to his lips and chin, taking advantage of his short breaks to kiss the bridge of his own nose. She slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt and he jerked slightly when she softly trailed her hands up his front. She smiled and pressed a slow kiss to his lips, extracting her hands to trail them down MacCready's arms and loosely grip his wrists. She guided them to the front of her jacket and coaxed him into peeling it off her. 

It fell to the ground with a tiny thump and MacCready took full advantage of the u-neck of her shirt to press open-mouth kisses to the base of her neck, making Hazel arch her head back and tangle her hand in his hair while the other still held one of his wrists. 

MacCready snaked his hands under her shirt, pulling it from the waistband of her jeans and used the motion of stroking up her skin to push the shirt up till it was bunched under her arms. He pulled back from her and paused, "Can I?" 

She nodded and helped him pull the garment off, it was swiftly joined by MacCready's shirt. Hazel trailed her hands down MacCready's torso, her eyes following the movement. 

MacCready wasn't buff, he was thin, lanky, and his belly was soft; muffining over the top of his pants slightly. There was a bullet wound on his bicep and hip, a small burn on his chest. The hair covering his torso was thin and soft. It grew thicker, darker and coarser the lower it went till it disappeared under the waistband of his underwear and pants. 

Hazel stepped closer to him and began kissing his neck hotly, pausing to suck on his pulse point, making him hum. Her hand snaked down the front of his pants and she heard him gasp when her fingers grazed his growing erection. 

MacCready kicked off his boots, and coaxed Hazel to do the same, before he reached behind her to unclassified her bra. She let the fabric fall from her body, more confident in herself than Lucy had been. 

MacCready noticed marks on the front of her shoulders where the straps of her bra usually sat, and on the inside of her elbows and biceps, large red patches that were rough when he touched them with his fingers. 

”Eczema." Was all Hazel said, a tone of disappointment and acceptance in her voice. ”It's...hard to keep it under control in an irradiated world." She huffed. She pulled away from him, leaving MacCready confused, and bent to collect her shirt. 

”What," MacCready cleared his throat when his voice cracked and tried again, "What are you doing?" He held the hand gripping her shirt gently, slowly taking the garment from her and dropping it again. 

”You...you're okay with seeing it? With... _touching_ it?" She asked, genuinely surprised and a little shy. 

MacCready nodded earnestly, he gently stroked the palm of his hand up the front of her shoulder to prove his point. ”It's proof of living." He said. 

”No." Hazel responded, "proof of living are bullet wounds, like this one," she pointed to the still healing wound on her arm, "and those," she pointed to the bullet wounds and burn scars on MacCready's chest. ”But this? No this is just a defect." 

MacCready kissed her gently, "Hay, I don't mind. I _want_ to touch them, to touch _you_ if you'll let me." 

Hazel hesitated for a moment before she nodded once and moved back into the circle of his arms. MacCready wasted no time after that stripping them both of the rest of their clothes. She had more patches of eczema on her legs, but he paid them no mind, they were rough and bumpy and a raw, angry red, but he continued to kiss her everywhere. 

MacCready knew that he wasn't exactly a quiet lover. With each hushed gasp Hazel made, he moaned slightly louder. She asked whether or not he like something she was doing, and was rewarded with a strangled gasp and a feverish nod. 

She shifted against him, rotating her hips with varying speed as he matched her pace below her. He sat up and cupped her ass in one hand, pulling her closer still and driving himself deeper inside her. The sensation ripped a deep moan from Hazel and she tightened around him, making him drop his head onto her shoulder and pant desperately. 

There was no way he was going to be able to hold on any longer, but he wanted to bring her to climax at least one more time. She deserved it, she deserved everything he had left to give--granted that wasn't much, but it was everything he valued and he would do anything to ensure she got it. 

He slicked his thumb with his tongue and snaked his hand between them, she gasped loudly and threw her head back, opening her neck to him, when he pressed his thumb to her clit and began circling the bundle of nerves at a quick rate. He leaned forward as much as he could and kissed her neck, start where he could reach at her Adam's apple. He raked his teeth gently across the skin of her neck and latched onto the hollow above her collar bone and sucked. 

Hazel gripped the hair at the back of his head tightly, almost pulling some strands out, but he didn't complain. The small spark of pain spurred him into sucking harder, moving faster, till she was crying out again and he was grunting loudly and out of time with his own trusts. 

” _Robert_!" She moaned as she clenched around him, taking several quick inhalations before moaning again, quieter. 

MacCready squeezed his eyes shut and groaned at the sound of her voice, his rhythm suddenly lost. ”H-Hazel, I'm-" he was cut off when Hazel kissed him hard. She pulled away just far enough so she could speak, he could feel the skin of her lips against his. 

”It's okay, Robert." She said breathlessly. 

With one last stuttered grunt MacCready came inside her, his thrusts slowing till they simply shifted against each other in slow circles, coming to a stop. 

Sweat slicked and content they watched each other through hooded eyes. Hazel cupped MacCready's cheek and pressed her forehead down to his, MacCready smiled and laid a series of kissed against her lips, peppering her face gently. Hazel laughed and MacCready sucked in a sharp breath when he remembered he was still inside her, and the motion of her laughter caused vibrations around his cock. 

”Sorry." Hazel apologised quickly and began extracting herself from him. 

”No, no," MacCready said, he winced slightly when she lifted herself off him, but she didn't move from his embrace. ”It's okay." 

Hazel only smiled. They lay down under the blankets and gently stroked their hands up and down each other's sides. MacCready shifted closer till Hazel was lying on her back with him over her, head resting against the front of her shoulder. He pressed a few kisses to her neck and listened as she hummed contentedly. 

”mmfalling asleep, Hay." He said, struggling to keep his eyes open. 

Hazel hummed in agreement, she carded her fingers through his hair sluggishly. ”I love you." She whispered quietly. 

”Mmlove you." MacCready responded, unsure if it was even loud enough to hear before he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really can't write smut. I tried to be a little more descriptive in this one but alas, I still cannot do it. Comments and kudos greatly appreciated


	14. Till The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”Do you want to go back to Duncan?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspiration 
> 
> http://youtu.be/j0naRFSK2hQ  
> https://youtu.be/yEtkIRlz7Vw  
> http://youtu.be/asbKghdlNa8  
> http://youtu.be/9MUA9hoDa40  
> http://youtu.be/ZwGWRrIlz68  
> http://youtu.be/WHYY-_3Ft84  
> http://youtu.be/fOZUKppndaE  
> http://youtu.be/TpUP0jjicqY  
> https://youtu.be/6ThQkrXHdh4  
> http://youtu.be/-J7J_IWUhls  
> http://youtu.be/HJndosNGLBc

When Hazel woke in the morning she was slightly disorientated and sore between her legs. She smiled as the memories of just a few hours ago surfaced, even more so when she realised that MacCready was pressed against her back still asleep, his forehead resting against the nape of her neck, one arm thrown over her waist, legs tangled. 

She could feel his warm breath on the bare skin of her back as he snored--loudly. She took a deep inhale and held it when she felt MacCready move, bringing her tighter into him and shifting up so his chin now rested against her back, his snoring resumed though quieter for a moment before he seemed to wake. 

He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes and sniffing. Hazel rolled so she could see him and he looked down at her with a fond smile. His hair stuck up at odd angles, especially in the back where she had spent the most time gripping and combing it with her fingers. They were interrupted by noises outside. Hazel pushed herself up and crawled over to the boarded up window and peered through a small gap in the wooden slats; out in the street was a group of about three Brahmin, each packed high with items and supplies. A large group of guards stood around them in various states of readiness some were impatient to go, others were still rubbing sleep from their eyes. 

At the front of the procession was Daisy, she talked with one of guards intently, pointing to the red tool box she had placed the cure for Duncan's disease in the night before. Hazel's eyes widened as she watched the scene play out before her, right outside in the Financial District. 

”Hey, Mac?" She asked, 

”Hmm?" MacCready responded, he had come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, absently kissing her back. 

”D...do you want to....go?" She asked. 

”Ready when you are, Boss." He said playfully, unaware of what she was truly asking. 

”No, I mean...go...back to Duncan." 

MacCready stopped nuzzling her skin and she turned around to him. He was watching her intently, torn between the decision he seemed to have to make, or whether or not she was dismissing him. Why was she dismissing him? Last night...he meant it as something more, something _much_ more than just a fling. 

Did she not mean it that way?

”H-Hazel, I--"

“I don't want you to leave." She blurted. 

He sat back, momentarily stunned by what she just said. His fear suddenly evaporated and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. ”Then I'm not going anywhere, Duncan will be better off back in the Capitol, at least until I find a way to get him down here."

”You're going to stay in the Commonwealth?" Hazel asked. 

”Well," MacCready began, "Why not? I'm friends with the General of the Minutemen, no merc job is safer than that." 

Hazel laughed and she moved to hug him tightly, ”You're more than a friend, Robert." She whispered. 

MacCready didn't respond, too afraid that if he did he'd start crying. Instead the two of them were content to waste the morning, listening to the sounds of Daisy's caravan moving off. They drifted back to sleep, acutely aware of the little sleep they actually managed to have the night before, and woke again around midday. 

Hazel gasped, surprised and delighted when she realised that MacCready was under the covers, his mouth on her, gently coaxing her from sleep and into the waking world. Immediately her hands dove under the blankets and latched themselves in his hair. She pulled too tight and MacCready grunted, shaking his head slightly to get her to loosen her grip. 

It was surprising how quickly she reached her climax and MacCready almost didn't think she did, he began lapping at her again but she bent her leg at the knee and planted her foot on his shoulder, pushing him away as she tried to chase her breath. 

MacCready sat on his knees, the covers falling around him as he watched Hazel recover. He crawled back up her body, kissing and caressing her skin, using his nose to trace lines over her breasts till he reached her mouth. 

They spent another blissful few hours wrapped in each other. A knock at the door caught their attention at one point, but Hazel just pulled MacCready back to her with a hushed curse flung at the door. 

As the sun began to set and the gargoyle at the front desk threatened to shoot the lock off the door, Hazel decided that it was time to head out, back to sanctuary. 

 

It was out on the road near Cambridge where MacCready pressed a cold object into her hand. She clutched the item and looked down at it, her eyebrows rose when she saw it was a toy soldier, about as big as her hand with fading paint and chipped edges. 

”I'd like you to have that." MacCready mumbled. 

”Where did you get it?" She asked. 

”Lucy made it for me after I told her the lie about me being a soldier. She gave it to me and said she was proud of me." He laughed "Could you imagine if she knew the truth?"m

Hazel looked at the toy for a moment before closing her fingers around it and car/fully placing it in her pocket, "I think she would have still loved you, either way."

MacCready huffed a laugh but didn't say anything else. It started raining and the couple took shelter in an old diner, Hazel mined the door and promptly slipped her hand down MacCready's pants. 

MacCready decided right then and there that Hazel Moore was a very wicked woman and would be the death of him, but he wasn't complaining. If he had the chance to make her moan just as loudly as himself almost every day he would die a very happy man. 

The rain persisted throughout the night and most of the following morning. During that time Hazel emptied their weapons of their bullets and counted out the ammo. Her rifle was empty, as was her shotgun and 10mm pistol. MacCready still had a decent haul of ammo for his rifle, and he handed her a handful of .44s he had found in one of the cash registers of the diner. 

Still not enough ammo to get them out of a raid. 

”We're going to have to move soon, raining or not. I don't like the idea of a gunner hoard catching us out here with no possible way of defeating them, especially if they have a damn Assultron with them."

MacCrady hummed in agreement and they packed the ammo away. It was just as the rain began to slow that they decide to move off. 

They reached Sanctuary before late afternoon the next day, devoid of ammo and out of breath. Sturges met them at the gate. 

”Good Golly! What happened to you two?" He exclaimed. 

Hazel dropped her pack in his hands and gave it a pat before answering; "Ran into some Gunners. Ran out of ammo, Deathclaw caught our scent. Had to run, back track a few times." 

MacCready didn't say anything, just nodded as Hazel recounted the incident. He could barely hold his rifle, clenched in a weak grip as he swayed on his feet, exhausted. Hazel nudged him and he blindly followed her to the tower. She left him at the door to her room and retrieved a fresh pair of clothes, throwing a pair of pants and a shirt at him that he rushed to catch, missed, and just stared as they sat in the floor. 

Hazel gave a single snort of a laugh before leading him back down the tower and out to the bathing area. 

They were both too exhausted to do much more than wash each other's backs. When they were dry and dressed and dragging each other up the hill Preston shoved two bowls of something into their hands. MacCready didn't complain, it was warm and it tasted good. 

They sat around the communal cook pot, just staring into the flames when a bark jerked Hazel. She sat upright and looked around, startled, when she noticed Dogmeat approaching, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth happily. 

Hazel looked happy to see the shepherd after so long. She gladly slipped off the makeshift cinderblock seat onto the floor to wrap her arms around the dog and begin talking to him. MacCready watched her, blinking forcefully to try and keep sleep from dragging him under just yet. 

He must have failed because when Hazel taped him awake he jerked to the side, saving himself from falling off the cinderblocks. Hazel laughed tiredly and helped him to his feet. The pair of them shuffled passed the dwindling crowd in the bar and climbed the tower to Hazel's room. 

They barely managed to get their shoes off before they collapsed onto the bed. 

 

The next morning MacCready woke to discover Hazel was not in the bed next to him, nor was she in the room. He glanced at his watch, 9:00am. With a slight groan he rolled out of the bed, landing on all fours before straightening and rubbing his palms down his face. 

Out of the window he could see many of the settlers beginning their chores. Some stood in small groups, talking to each other while a bunch of children ran to the gate to begin pestering the provisioner that was approaching from across the bridge. 

MacCready could see Deacon up in the sniper's nest. The man sat with his arms on the railing, his chin cushioned on his forearms while his gun leaned against the wall. MacCready was unsure if he was even awake. He decided he'd check later, if Deacon hasn't moved. 

Down in the bar he almost ran into Codsworth. The Mr. Handy unit was in a frenzy, telling people to get out of his way, and asking any one and everyone the same question; "Where is Miss Hazel?" 

Piper rolled her eyes, "For the last time, Tin-foil, she's gone up the hill out back." 

Codsworth seemed to hear Piper that time and he turned one of his optic lenses on her, "Oh, I do hope she'll be back in time for tea. The last time she went up there I didn't see her again till two hundred years later." 

MacCready jerked at the words and he quickly left the tower. It wasn't hard to find the path over the stream and up the back of Sanctuary. Why would she go back into the vault? He knew she was from a vault, knew everything, so he also knew that her fear of vaults was as strong as his fear of Ferals. The only reason she would go anywhere near a vault was if she knew she had no other choice. 

He quickened his pace, hoping to catch a glimpse of her as he climbed the hill. He passed a buckled wire fence and a few caravans and found Hazel standing in the middle of a metal platform, staring out over Sanctuary. 

MacCready stopped. This was the first time he had seen her in the vault suit. Like her Brotherhood of Steal uniform it hugged her figure, but instead of making her fit in with the crowd, it made her stand out. The suit was too blue, the yellow too bright. Unnatural. It reminded him of the Gunners in a way, a uniform to unite an army, and pick out its test subjects. 

”Hazel?" 

Hazel turned around and smiled slightly when she saw him. He took it as an invitation and approached her. 

”Why are you up here?" He asked. 

She stamped her foot down on the metal of the platform, the noise reverberating up MacCready's own legs. ”Just six months ago I came out from under ground. The world was destroyed, colourless and toxic." 

MacCready watched her carefully as she began to speak. 

“Kellogg stole my son, murdered my husband, but no matter how often I try, I just can't bring myself to go back down into that frozen ice box and haul his body back out here. When I first woke up, and first left the vault, I got as far as the stream before I came right back and spent two days underground, sleeping in front of Nate's pod. 

”I left when I couldn't find any food. Codsworth found my wandering Sanctuary, he's been my anchoring point for so long, I don't think he realises how good he's been for me. Then I met you." 

MacCready felt his pulse quicken. 

”You were this scrappy, lanky, gun-for-hire, with the worst jokes and the quickest wit I ever thought I'd meet. I wanted to try and show you the vault." 

”Hey, we really don't have too." _I don't want too._ is what MacCready thought, but if she needed to over come some sort of fear by going down into vault 111, then he would stay beside her the whole time. 

Thankfully MacCready needn't have worried. She turned away from the Commonwealth and stepped off the platform. She walked over to where MacCready now noticed her clothes were piled and she dressed, stripping off the vault suit and replacing it with her familiar jeans, shirt and jacket. 

”Why show you the past," she began "When the present is so much better?" 

MacCready laughed and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He pulled her close and let her rest her head on his shoulder, it took a bit of slouching on her part, and him standing on his toes, but they managed it. 

After a while they broke apart and Hazel took his hand, "Come on, we've got some fusion cores to find." 

”I'll follow you till the end of the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um. Yeah. Finished! 
> 
> I'm feeling a little melancholy because I finished this fix SO FAST yet I'm still struggling to finish my Dragon age fics lmao. 
> 
> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated, I'd love to hear what you thought about this. A playlist will be coming soon too, so stay tuned :)


End file.
